


Dimension Dowsing: Present Swing

by EpsilonTarantula



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: F/M, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 95,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24465862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EpsilonTarantula/pseuds/EpsilonTarantula
Summary: At the conclusion of the Miami Championship, Yuzu finds herself in a strange land, accompanied by a boy with a familiar face, but an unfamiliar personality...At the same time, Yuya has traveled dimensions to find her...The war between Dimensions rages in the present, a battle with ties to a lost past, leading to an uncertain future...
Relationships: Hiiragi Yuzu/Sakaki Yuya, Kurosaki Ruri/Yuto, Rin/Yugo (Yu-Gi-Oh), Serena/Yuri (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. The Synchro Dimension - Neo Domino City

**Hello people of AO3! I am Epsilon Tarantula! You probably don't know who I am, so I'll just cut right to the chase:**

**This is the start of _Dimension Dowsing_! Yes, you heard it right, the story meant to salvage ARC-V after it was sabotaged from within by a head writer who decided to spite everyone and burn everything that had been built to the ground is finally here! (Even though there are probably OTHERS out there) After so much grief and toil that many will inform you exposed me as a petty and awful madman (I take full responsibility for it all), there is finally something to show for my labors!**

**Many thanks to Garrett for convincing me to NOT make the following a full rehash of Episode 54 and bore you all to death (And thanks to him for letting me stea-I mean, borrow one of his unused drafts and adapt some of his OCs, whom will be making their appearance sooner than you think), Donjusticia for reading over the draft that solidified that decision, and for anyone else who I tormented on the YCM Discord with my constant slew of ideas, before I was convinced to just write it all out by XBrain130. Seriously, thanks for putting up with me all that time.**

**For maximum immersion factor, I would recommend re-watching the first 53 episodes of ARC-V before reading this story (Or at least keep yourself in a mindset where they are fresh in your mind). Trust me, you'll be able to follow this story quite easily if ye do so ;).**

**I don't own ARC-V, that right goes to Konami and Studio Gallop. I mean, I wish I did, but then the number of deaths would skyrocket and the final boss would've actually been intimidating.**

* * *

_Dimension Dowsing - Present Swing_

_Episode 54: The Synchro Dimension: Neo Domino City_

* * *

_**The D-Wheel.** _

_**The next evolution of the duel disk, this machine goes full throttle in a Riding Duel, which is known as the greatest expression in freedom…** _

* * *

The amber glow of the setting sun over the massive metropolis was a sight that created a variety of different opinions, whenever the mood to be wistful struck.

For those who lived at the very top, who held all the money and power in the world that they could ask for, in general, they considered it a beautiful sight that just served as the cherry on top for the world that they lived in.

For those who lived at the very bottom, who had no money, and rarely even any clothes on their back or food to eat, it was just another thing to highlight the trash that made up the world that they had been born into.

Of course, those were just general opinions among the population. There were of course, people who had their own opinions on the matter if they ever gave the sight a thought, regardless if those thoughts were influenced by their living conditions or not.

For a certain blue-haired young man who lived in those slums, the sight of the setting sun filled him with anger, reminding him of the injustices that had plagued his life, highlighting the despair and conditions that those whom he considered friends and family had to live in.

Another man however, who was covered in Criminal Marks, simply considered it to be the end of another day, and whenever those who he'd sworn to protect and care for admired it, he would consider it beautiful just as they did. Those smiles were worth it after all. But a belly full of food afterwards wouldn't hurt of course.

A certain youth never gave the setting sun any thoughts besides it telling him that it was dusk and time to grab a bite to eat before settling in for the night for the next day's work.

Likewise, a similar youth with glasses from up above also just saw it as dinnertime when his watch wasn't working to tell him. His companion however, considered it an amazing sight, and so the bespectacled youth would occasionally humor him.

For two girls, the setting sun showed them a city of many problems and issues, as well as the sides to those issues, highlighting how there was still so much left to do for their own goals.

For a certain man, the setting sun highlighted everything that he had worked to build, and that nothing would ever take it out of his hands, as long as his heart still beat. He would not let go of this power that he had toiled to gain, no matter what.

There were of course, several others with unique thoughts, but to reveal what went on in their heads would reveal far too much at this point.

So instead, let us focus on two people in particular who could not care any less about the setting sun. At least, not right at this moment.

After all, right now, they were having something very rare: The time of their lives.

"Come on, I know it can go faster like this!" Rin griped, sitting on the back end of the white tiger-striped D-Wheel with hornet-esque protrusions.

"I'm flooring it!" Yugo shot back. "I'm going as fast as it'll let me!"

The two orphans, the boy wearing a mostly white Riding Duel uniform, and the girl, wearing a pink-and-white one, were taking an opportunity to take a break, in as much as they _could_ take a break, from their precious project. Their ticket out of the Commons, and into the Tops; the D-Wheel that they had spent months working on. Saving whatever money they could, reading up on how to build a D-Wheel and how to read the computer code for the programs implemented into it, finding a facility where they could build it, as they had no garages at the orphanage they called home, and of course, testing the machine at every step of the way.

It had not been easy, owing to Yugo having a poor attention span, them having barely any money to get some of the most critical parts, and Rin's temper whenever they came to a metaphorical wall…

But now, their precious machine was working. Bit by bit, it had won the duo several local matches, its performance improving as they grew more skilled at handling it. Trial and error had been the best instructors for the two, and now…

"I still say you're going too slow!" Rin barked.

"Oh yeah, then try this on for size!" Yugo yelled as he accelerated down the suspended highway further, causing both to scream in delight as they felt the wind blowing against them, becoming one with the speed that had long-since enticed them and everyone else in their city.

Of course, saying that the pair of an over enthusiastic idiot and back-alley street girl ever did anything with complete dignity was incorrect, but despite everything, they were enjoying themselves.

Especially because their goal was nearing. The moment they were waiting for was almost upon them. In less than a month, the Friendship Cup, their ticket out of the Commons, would begin, and the two young riders were planning on entering. It was their mission, their dream, and at long last, it was about to become reality.

So they had decided to go out for a joyride. While Commons didn't have any freedom to enter any of the districts where Tops residents lived, the highways in-between those districts and leading up and down to the Commons were mostly fair-game...so long as you kept away from those districts you were not allowed to enter.

Thus, the two were free to run up and down the roads hanging above the City, taking in the view of the worlds below and above them, while enjoying the rush and sheer thrill of the ride.

"YAHOOOOOOOOO!" Both of them exclaimed.

They went at it for an hour, taking turns when it came to driving, since while it was true that they had come for a rare outing of fun...it didn't hurt to keep practicing, since they only had the one D-Wheel and Duel Disk, and thus would have to switch between them whenever it would be their turn to duel.

Finally, they came to a fairly empty viewing lot, made solely for people who wanted to take in the view. A few similar locations had been claimed by rich Tops (Because of course they would do that), but most were ignored, and thus one of the few places that a citizen from the Commons could go to without being harassed (Most of the time, unless a particularly petty Tops resident decided to push them away for the heck of it).

The two gazed at the sunset, casting dusk on all of the districts. To these two aspiring riders, who wanted freedom, the setting sun felt like…

"A promise." Rin murmured.

"Eh, what?" Yugo asked, not catching it.

"Oh, it's nothing." Rin dismissed, before pausing to look at the sight. "It really is beautiful though."

Yugo gazed at the sprawling city. "Yeah, it is."

"...And it's almost time, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

They were silent as the weight of the upcoming event came crashing down on them. Expectations for the opponents they would fight. The difficulty of the journey ahead. Knowing that they still had a long road ahead of them.

"Yugo…" Rin said at last.

"Yeah?"

"Let's make sure we win this."

"Of course we're going to win this!" Yugo protested.

Rin made a sour face at him. "You somehow lost to Tama of all people in one of the last local tournaments!"

"Not my fault he found two copies of Torrential Tribute!" Yugo protested.

"I told you to side Puppet Plant during your duel with Polo, or he'd get you."

"Hey, Clear Wing nearly got rid of all of his Life Points! I didn't think he'd top-deck Soul Charge!"

Rin sighed. "Just promise me that you won't hold back. That we'll win this tournament, no matter what!"

That got Yugo to sober up. His face became serious and stern as he looked at the setting sun once again.

"Well...yeah." he murmured. "Yeah, it's a promise."

"You swear?" Rin asked, clearly trying to make sure Yugo wasn't blowing off.

"Of course I swear!" Yugo exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air.

"You'd better watch out Jack! 'Cause we're gonna beat you!"

A smile came across Rin's face, clearly enjoying her companion's determination. "Glad you understand."

"And then I'll buy one of those swimming pools in a swimming pool! And maybe a tub full of milk!" Yugo continued.

"Okay Yugo, I get it…" Rin sighed.

But Yugo kept on talking. "Oh, maybe we'll get one of those rare video games, like that one that was supposed to be all dark and gritty or something!"

"All right, I know…" Rin grumbled.

"Or one of those-"

WHAM!

"All right I get it!" Rin roared as she slammed her right knee into Yugo's stomach.

"Geez…" the girl sighed as Yugo gasped for breath. "You don't have to describe every little thing you see in those trash magazines."

"Oh come on! Like you're one to talk, how about that time you dueled Yanki?" Yugo managed to shoot back.

"Which time?" Rin asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes. "You mean the time I beat her, or the time when I also beat her? And don't call Kasumi by that stupid gang title. She just does it to look intimidating, which, FYI, she isn't."

"Wait, you mean 'Yanki' isn't her name?" Yugo asked innocently.

Rin just stared at her companion. "Someday that habit of mixing up names is going to catch up to you, you know that right?"

"Oh come on! I'm good with everyone else's names! What are the chances of people screwing up mine?" Yugo replied.

"You never know when." Rin explained in a knowledgeable tone. "Alright, enough soaking up the sunset, let's go home. I'm driving."

"Oh hell no, I'm driving!" Yugo replied. "I didn't get enough miles out of it today."

The two locked eyes at each other. Then they got into fighting stances and…

"ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!"

And just like that…

Rin smirked. "Paper beats Rock."

"Damn it!" Yugo wept as he and Rin walked back to the D-Wheel, before the duo stopped right in their tracks.

The viewpoint lot they were located on had a short road that connected it to the main highway. This of course, is to make sure that people wanting to take a lookout or picture will be far enough away from traffic, and that D-Wheels and other vehicles are able to park without having to worry about crashing, and to be just close enough so that the driver is able to tell where exactly he or she is turning into.

Of course, with no sidewalk on that straightaway, it meant that the only area to walk around was the viewpoint lot, which was circular in shape…

And that right near the entry/exit of the lot, was a lone Security officer.

He seemed to be off-duty, even having taken his helmet off to reveal his face. His hair, which was mid-length and spiked upwards, was pure white. He was peering over a tablet, not focusing on the two Commons residents, but the two were quite familiar with Sector Security's brutality, and so did not feel reassured. He could easily choose to arrest them the instance they exited the lot.

Wordlessly, Rin got into the driver's seat, and Yugo scurried onto the back, and the two rode off, keeping themselves exactly according to the speed limit, hoping to avoid the security officer's attention. As they rode past him, both got a better look at his face, which was rather rough and sunken-looking due to being covered with pock-marks. Unusually, the officer's long, rough eyebrows were a sandy blonde instead of being snow-white.

He did indeed happen to glance at them, revealing a pair of cold and focused red eyes that seemed to pierce through Yugo and Rin, both feeling their hair stand on end and goosebumps on their skin. Just as quickly however, the officer returned to studying his tablet-screen, seeming to pay the two no mind.

That being said, Rin took no chances, and left driving at the speed limit, Yugo looking behind to make sure that they weren't being followed.

It felt like they were driving on eggshells while having arrows aimed at their heads, but in the end, the officer did not try to chase them down, causing both to breathe a sigh of relief and head for home. It had been a very close shave.

* * *

The officer continued to browse his tablet, examining the facial structures of the two individuals he had noticed at the viewpoint lot. While they were focused on the view/beating each other up, the officer snapped a picture of the two before moving in for a closer look, making sure that his D-Wheel's sirens and warning lights were off so he could sneak in un-noticed, which was helped by a custom feature installed into his D-Wheel to reduce engine noise.

Once he was done studying the pictures he had taken, he proceeded to pull up photographs of two other individuals, who, similar to the Synchro duo, were dressed in uniforms, but these were much more formal as opposed to the tight-fitting leather common in Synchro. The white-haired man specifically focused his attention on that of a girl who was wearing the Osiris Red outfit, albeit customized to her preference, according to her profile.

Wordlessly, he compared the facial structures of the two girls, running a program from his tablet to make sure...

The results came in. They were identical to each other. The boys too.

Quickly, the officer typed up a message, knowing fully well that he had found what they were looking for.

' _Located Synchro Counterparts. Inform Eli and have him get Yuri in here ASAP.'_

Then, a loud laugh from the distance caught the officer's attention. "BWAHAHAHAHA!"

A large dark-skinned man with a pink mohawk, wearing a sleeveless brown vest, stormed down the road, cackling as several bills flew from a rather large bag crudely tied to his D-Wheel. He was flanked by two Gyaku-Gire Pandas and three Maji-Gire Pandas, who roared angrily, as if to warn people away. The officer immediately recognized him as the hooligan known as Dobocle, who had previously been arrested for crashing his D-Wheel into an expo held by Dimension Express.

' _Robbery occurred at Highway 5! The culprit is escaping on his D-Wheel! Requesting a Duel Chaser!"_

The officer quickly fitted his helmet on, and, quick as a viper, barreled down the road on his D-Wheel, lights flashing as he caught up with the criminal, who looked back and sneered.

"Heh, a Duel Chaser? HAH! You guys ain't so tough, and I'm going to prove that right now!"

For a moment, the officer was tempted to not use his admittedly-customized Duel Chaser deck, and instead just use his personal deck that would literally turn the raging idiot's field into corpses, just to see the look on his face, but ultimately, professionalism ruled the day as the officer loaded the less-suspicious deck into his wrist dealer.

It wouldn't take long to defeat this raving muscle-head anyways.

Indeed, before his observed subjects had even exited the highway, Dobocle found himself flying from his D-Wheel, and landing on the cruel, hard pavement, his ill-gotten money scattered all around him, waiting to be returned to its 'rightful' place.

* * *

Being the oldest of the residents of their orphanage, Rin and Yugo in particular had to fulfill a fair number of responsibilities. Besides looking after younger children or doing chores around the 'house', so to speak, to assist the caretaker of the facility, one of their tasks was to help buy groceries at the market whenever the day came.

This was one of those times when having a D-Wheel proved to be practical in everyday life (And one of the main reasons why they had been allowed to construct and keep it in the first place), as it had customized compartments to carry items, which made it handy to pack food. Of course, because of the cramped spaces of the market, neither Yugo or Rin were ever able to actually drive it while shopping, instead simply pulling it alongside.

"Let's see...we got the leeks, the green onions, the oranges, the apples…" Rin murmured to herself, walking ahead with the shopping list, while Yugo was just a few steps behind.

"And that just leaves the meat!" he sneered mischievously.

Yugo had seen the list, and was excited to learn that they were getting actual meat from a butcher, not some canned gunk like tuna or Crimson Dragon forbid, Spam. Rin had had to force the Speedroid-user to wipe his mouth, seeing that he was drooling everywhere.

"Just don't try to eat all of it before the kids can get a bite in." Rin sighed. "And besides, it's pork, not beef."

"Who cares? Meat is meat!" Yugo drooled, imagining the week's dinner, though it was true that beef was his favorite.

The stall they were heading towards was a bit different from say, a fruit stand. While a fruit stand could simply be built as a tent, meat stands required refrigeration of the goods (If the meat was not dried and/or cured), and thus required actual metal instead of just wood. Of course, to make money in the commons, a stationary metal stand would not be enough, as it would be prone to vandalism from thugs or street fights over who would command it for the day. Thus, the solution, at least for the district where Yugo and Rin lived, were meat trucks, which could naturally hold refrigerated goods thanks to their size, and still have stands quickly set-up and dismantled, to help maximize profit.

"What'll it be?" A large, muscular man with short spiked black hair and a scar over his left eye asked gruffly.

"10 pounds of pork please." Rin said politely.

"10 pounds of pork! Get it out here!" the man roared back.

"Ah shaddup, I'm getting it!" an equally gruff voice called back.

"Just wait a little bit." the muscular vendor grunted, looking down at the two, before looking above.

It was just a reflex, one might say. But, as a side-note, regardless of whether or not they came from the Tops or Commons, businessmen in Neo Domino were cutthroat, and some were said to develop elevated instincts when seeking out deals or opportunities. Especially in the near-lawless slums of the Commons.

"Oi, you gonna buy something or just keep staring like a creepy schoolgirl?"

It was at that moment that Yugo heard a faint roar in his mind, followed by the hissing of what sounded like several snakes in unison.

He wasn't the only one. Rin could swear that a sound not dissimilar to a set of wind chimes tinkling in the wind, but whatever melodies those chimes had created were being drowned out by the rather loud hissing of snakes.

However it manifested in their heads, their instincts were coming to the same conclusion. Something was wrong.

They quickly turned back, to see a narrow alleyway between two run-down grey-brick buildings, but there was nothing in the alleyway...at least, nothing they could see, but could feel was still watching them.

"Oi! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" the vendor roared at the seemingly empty alley.

But there was no reply.

It was only a few seconds later that the vendor's partner, an equally buff man with smooth black hair that had a long braid at the back, wearing small round black glasses, appeared, holding the order in his hands.

"Alright, here's your order!" he announced.

"Uh, thank you." Rin said hastily, giving them the money as she and Yugo immediately walked away, packing the meat into the D-Wheel as they did so.

They were silent as they walked out of the shopping district, feeling a sense of unease that was not going away.

"Do...do you feel that something's...off?" Rin asked.

"Yeah...feels like I'm getting goosebumps…" Yugo muttered.

They kept an eye out until they finally got home, upon which the feeling of unease finally went away.

* * *

The next morning however, they heard how one of the more stable services/businesses in the Commons, that of Merry Meats, which had provided their services to several districts, had suddenly ended. Those rumors soon turned to factual reports as Security spread word of a mysterious fire that had destroyed their main facility...and the strange disappearance of the five-man crew that ran the business.

Of course, this was all but a prelude for what was to come.

Shortly after this, both Rin and Yugo could now definitely feel that someone was watching them, especially Rin whenever she was separated from the white-suited rider. It felt that no matter where they went, the feeling that they were being tailed or stalked would never go away. Trying to find whoever was behind it bore no fruit at all. No matter where they would search in retaliation, the stalker could not be found.

Of course, as they would soon find out, this person was no mere stalker.

He was a hunter.

Nighttime was always considered dangerous in the Commons whenever you lacked reliable transportation or a weapon, since you were liable to be attacked by thugs, thieves, delinquents, rapists, or even the occasional serial-killer. If you lacked a D-Wheel, the following were recommended as weapons: Bludgeons, knives, guns, brass knuckles, Molotov Cocktails, and/or of course, a Duel Disk.

Unfortunately for Rin, all of these options except for the Duel Disk were banned at the orphanage where she and Yugo lived, and they only ever had enough money for the one Duel Disk, which was attached to their shared D-Wheel.

As a result, when both she and Yugo were at the end of their rope at the week's end, and wanted to deal with the intruder on their lives, Yugo had driven off, hoping to find the mysterious predator. Rin for her part was left alone, trying to make her way back home.

But just when she thought she was in the clear...

" _I hope you didn't think our game of Tag was over so soon before it could begin. Now...shall we begin the hunting game?"_

With no duel disk, it was all the teal-suited duelist could do to run and keep away from the cloaked boy. The one who shared Yugo's face, a detail she noticed when he'd walked beneath one of the few working streetlights in the alleyways. It made Rin's stomach turn to see such a malevolent and sadistic expression on her closest companion's face, so much so that she had to mentally tell herself that that the hunter was not Yugo over and over in her head, trying to purge the terrifying image of the boy's snake-slit eyes out of her mind.

Yugo for his part was desperately riding through the labyrinth of streets, realizing that he'd been tricked by the mysterious duelist, and now frantically riding to find Rin.

"RIN! RIN! RIN!" He called.

But she was too far away to hear.

Rin gasped as she came to a dead-end, boxed in by buildings with no entrance...and the not-Yugo creeping closer and closer to her.

"Alright, I'm starting to get tired of our game now." he crooned mockingly. "Now, come with me, to the Professor's side."

Fear and adrenaline mixed and churned in Rin's guts, as the boy raised his duel disk, projecting a dark purple sword-shaped energy blade. "Now, how about we duel? Oh...wait, you can't, can you? What a shame…Ah well."

For a few seconds, he was still, with Rin fearful to even breathe.

At last, he spoke. "Predator Scent, activate, and with that, I send Predator Plant Heliamorrow to the Graveyard…"

Before Rin could speak, a horrific blend of a bird and a pitcher-plant, in spectral form, descended over her, before ensnaring her arms with its vine-like wings, mouth drooling with sweet-smelling slime. Rin gagged as the heavy smell of the slime/drool of the horrific creature began to overpower her.

"Wh-what the hell is this?" she managed to choke out, before a small blue-green blob with an imp-like face and sharp teeth manifested before her. It clamped its teeth over her right leg, but instead of feeling pain from the bite, Rin immediately started to feel dizzy, stagger, and then fall unconscious.

"Hmph, that was too long for being too easy." the cloaked boy yawned as he bent down to pick up his prize.

"Damn it, where is she?" Yugo groaned as he rode down this next alleyway, headlights on full power.

Then he saw them. Rin, unconscious, draped over the cloaked duelist's shoulder.

"Why you…" Yugo growled, ripping himself off of the seat of his D-Wheel and charging forward with his legs. "You bastard, what the hell are you doing with Rin?!"

"Hmm…" the duelist hummed, letting his face be revealed from his hood, with the light of Yugo's D-Wheel revealing…

"What the...is that my face?" Yugo gaped, stopping despite his rage.

The mirror image then sneered in triumph.

"Magic card, VIOLET FLASH!"

A bright purple flash of light filled Yugo's eyes, forcing him to cover his face. The white-suited boy groaned from the intensity of the light, until he felt it fade away, to reveal…

A completely empty alleyway, devoid of Rin and her pursuer who looked like Yugo's evil twin.

Yugo gasped. "RIN!"

He looked around like a wild animal who had been wounded, panic and despair seeping in. No sign of Rin on the roofs. No sign of the bastard-twin behind him or above. No miraculous scene of Rin breaking out of the bastard-twin's grip and beating the hell out of him. No indication that anyone had even been there aside from some weird sweet-smelling scent lingering in the air.

Yugo took another look, then a third, and a fourth. But the truth settled in soon enough.

Rin was gone.

The bastard-twin had taken away the one whom Yugo held the most precious in the world. Yugo had let him catch Rin, completely helpless to prevent her capture. Powerless to have even fought the bastard in the first place, failing to have even managed to duel him.

It was all the white-suited duelist could do but scream his frustrations to the nightly heavens, to the place where they'd sworn to fight their way to someday. The dream that they had both held, completely taken away and smashed to pieces. Now that she was gone, what was the point?

"DAMN IT!" Yugo screamed.

But before he could falter, he heard a sound very much like the gusting of wind, and even though its source was behind him, a bright green light. Without thinking, the boy turned around, seeing that the light was coming from his duel disk. As he walked closer to get a better look, he saw a single white card emerge from the screen. A card that he had held with him his whole life and considered his ace.

"Clear Wing?" Yugo mumbled as he realized that indeed, it was his ace monster that was emitting the bright green light.

What should he do? Take it? Leave it there? Why was Clear Wing glowing? What did it mean?

Instincts rushed through Yugo. He could hear the voice of a roaring dragon in his mind, but this was not the wicked hissing that had been plaguing him in the past week. It was the roar that Clear Wing let out whenever Yugo summoned it. It was the first time he'd heard that roar in his head. It felt like...it was urging him to take it. An instinct that was slowly coming over Yugo. His doubts were still there, but then he thought of Rin, and had the feeling that if he took the card, he could save her after all.

He reached, and clasped his ace monster in his fingers. Green light completely surrounded him, causing Yugo to cover his eyes for a second time.

But when he opened them...it was to an orange, malevolent glow.

"Wh-what is this?" Yugo gasped, as he realized where he was. Atop of a mountain that oversaw a sprawling city that made Neo Domino look small.

But unlike Neo Domino, most of this city was bathed in fire. If he strained his ears, Yugo could hear the awful noise of people screaming in terror. He could see the dark silhouettes of some kind of gigantic creatures in the distance, holding out their arms, before firing an immense blue beam into the city, creating several massive explosions in their wake. Pillars of purple light occasionally manifested elsewhere, and soon in their wake, yet more explosions, or, in one case, another shadowy giant aiming to cause more and more destruction.

Those scenes of devastation were burned into Yugo's memories as he watched the unfamiliar city be razed to the ground.

He didn't dare enter until the flames had died down, revealing a ruined metroscape coated in ash. Where proud buildings had once stood, there was rubble. The center of the city seemed to have had a massive tower that would've been impressive to see, except it had been cut down to size. Recognizable streets were now covered in twisted and melted metal, and had either collapsed or been buried. Yugo couldn't even tell if it was night or day, for the sky was filled with so much ash now, either the sun or the moon were blotted out.

"Is Rin really in this place?" Yugo wondered to himself sullenly as he drove over the uneven terrain.

For the entire day, the white rider rode his D-Wheel wherever he could, trying to learn about his new surroundings. It was more than a bit difficult however. A small group of people coated in more ash and dust than any Common immediately ran away from Yugo when he tried to ask them for information, while another group of people a few hours later, who wore weird blue outfits and strange helmets with red, blue, and yellow gems in the center, ambushed him in a Battle Royal duel that he thankfully was able to win, which he noted caused them to vanish in blue light.

At the very least, he did learn from his opponents that the name of this city was Heartland. What he didn't know was why it was being attacked. He figured it had something to do with the guys in the masks, and sometimes, some people in less decorated red, yellow, or blue outfits who played the same cards as them. Not that they were the only ones attacking the Synchro user however.

"GAH!" Yugo screamed, seeing, of all things, a _katana_ , that had been thrown, landing in a cracked wall that he'd driven by, situated next to a rather large pile of rubble that may as well have been an entire building at one point.

"He might be aligned with Fusion!" a commanding, female voice called out, though Yugo couldn't make out what she looked like from where he was, only catching what looked like either a sword or a stick.

"It's YUGO, not Fusion!" The White Rider couldn't help but scream, until four roguish individuals, each with a noticeable red scarf being worn somewhere on their bodies, brandishing their duel disks, jumped him.

"Shit, I don't have time for this!" Yugo hissed, accelerating in the opposite direction just as his opponents yelled…

"XYZ SUMMON!"

"Xyz?" Yugo asked, before several monsters unfamiliar to him, each with strange lights orbiting around their bodies, lunged towards him in a manner very similar to their owners.

"Damn it...SYNCHRO SUMMON!"

And so the on-and-off dueling began with Hi-Speedroid Kendama and Hi-Speedroid Chanbara working to protect their master from the relentless assaults until he was able to escape.

When he did, Yugo dismounted his D-Wheel, and looked up to the ashen sky in sheer frustration. He seemed nowhere closer to finding Rin, and it seemed that no matter where he went, people were getting in his way.

"RARRRRGGGHHHH!" he yelled to the blackened heavens, slamming his fists into the ground.

Yugo found himself camping out in the mountains where he'd begun his quest, ignoring the cries of his stomach for food. He was used to going some fairly long periods without nourishment after all, and both he and Rin had had more than a few experiences of sleeping on the streets whenever they strayed too far from home.

Unfortunately, the Synchro user made just as little progress the next day as he did before, either encountering teams of the primary-colored uniform duelists, or one of the more ragged duelists scouting the destroyed city, and each time, they tried to attack him, and kept on confusing Yugo's name for Fusion. It managed to be both annoying and stressful at the same time. Annoying because everyone kept getting his name wrong, and stressful because he couldn't find Rin anywhere.

The only change from Day 1 was that Yugo was able to find a destroyed bakery in the wreckage of Heartland that had some leftover bread and sweets, so he at least managed to settle his stomach that night.

And as for the bathroom, well, again, he was used to dealing with this kind of situation.

Day 3 was starting out much like the previous two, though this time, the Synchro user decided to take a different route in the destroyed city, already growing tired of being caught in the crossfire of whatever was happening in Heartland. His mission was still to find Rin, but part of him (Or at least the part that nagged at him in Rin's voice) wondered if Rin really was stuck in this horrible place and that he should try his luck elsewhere. Then again, if she was here after all, then Yugo really and truly had to rescue her.

"What is wrong with this town?" Yugo grumbled to himself, stopping his D-Wheel on the road he was taking. "And where could Rin be here?"

"Rin, hey, Rin! Are you here? RIN! Can you hear my voice, RIN!"

But the only reply was the white rider's echo.

Yugo sighed, looking around. There really was no sign of Rin anywhere. Not at the tops of the destroyed buildings, not behind or in front of him on the road he was on, and nowhere near a road that was located on a lower level, where…

_HIM._

Yugo's blood boiled as he recognized his face. The face identical to his, now uncloaked to reveal a cold, determined face wearing a dark cape over a set of ragged grey-and-dark-green clothes. It was the evil twin from before. It had to be.

"YOU!" The Synchro user roared. "I found you, you bastard! Don't you even TRY running this time!"

The caped-duelist didn't seem interested though, seemingly ignoring Yugo's inquiry with his own. "Are you with Academia?"

"...Huh?" Yugo asked, anger ebbing slightly from confusion, but only for a moment as his evil twin continued to speak.

"I heard something about Fusion!"

And just like that, the anger returned.

"Whose Fusion?! My name is Yugo! And I'm gonna beat the hell out of you!"

With that, the Synchro user's D-Wheel's disk portion activated, emitting four prongs of green-light, arranged in a vague arrow-shape.

Seeing this, the bastard activated his duel disk in response, revealing the blade to have the same purple color as the light it had emitted before. Yes. That was him. It HAD to be. Yugo was now completely sure of it.

"You ARE from Fusion!" Yugo's opponent shot back.

"Listen to when people are talking!" the Synchro user roared, accelerating off the road and diving towards the bastard.

**DUEL!**

**YUGO LP: 4000**

**OPPONENT LP: 4000**

"I'm going first!" Yugo declared as his D-Wheel slammed into the ground. "Since I don't control any monsters, I get to Special Summon _Speedroid Terrortop_ right from my hand, and since I summoned him, that means I can add another Speedroid from my deck to my hand!"

A series of red tops, glowing with energy, and connecting to each other in a similar fashion to a centipede's joints, arose to the field, levitating above their user.

**Speedroid Terrotop/WIND/Level 3/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 600**

"And guess what, the monster I added? I'm bringing him out right now!" Yugo said. "I summon the Tuner Monster, _Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice!"_

A large golden die, with a large eye with a red pupil acting as the marking for the "1", with six glowing red orbs around it, manifested next to the top-centipede, pulsing as the orbs manifested.

**Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice/WIND/Level 1/Machine/Tuner/ATK: 100/DEF: 100**

Yugo raised his arm to his second monster. "I activate _Red-Eyed Dice's_ effect! I target another Speedroid I control, and then a level between 1 and 6, making that monster's level equal to the one I pick! Meaning my _Terrotop_ is now a Level 6 monster!"

The die pulsed again, with all six of its orbs shifting position to surround _Beigomax_ instead.

**Speedroid Terrortop/Level 6**

"Alright you bastard, get ready! I tune the now Level 6 _Speedroid Terrortop_ with my Level 1 _Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice_!"

The die-monster transformed into a green ring, while the tops faded into six stars that lined up inside the ring.

_"Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"_

From the star/ring formation, a horizontal beam of light burst from behind Yugo, flying upwards until a flash of green light shone through, and a massive dragon with a predominantly white body stormed onto the field, roaring as it flexed its arms. The dragon had no legs, its blocky body instead ending in bright green diamond protrusions and a white-and-black tail. The dragon's wings were a set of bright green panel extensions similar to the diamond extrusions, while block-like blue armor adorned several other parts of its body, particularly its head and six-fingered claws. The dragon flew besides its master gracefully, sparkles of light shimmering from its scales.

**Clear Wing Synchro Dragon/WIND/Level 7/Dragon/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000**

"Synchro Summon, eh?" The bastard-duelist said. "So, there's a pawn of Fusion in the Synchro Dimension then!"

"Will you shut up about that?" The white rider griped. "It's getting fucking annoying! I set two cards face-down and end my turn!"

Two face-downs appeared on each side of Yugo's D-Wheel, before vanishing.

"Alright you ass-wipe, come on! I'll take down whatever you have!"

"Let's see you try to back those words up!" the caped-bastard retorted. "Draw! I'm starting off with _Twin Twisters_! I discard a card to destroy 2 Spell/Traps on the field, in this case, your face-downs!"

"Aw come on!" Yugo griped as _Burning Sonic_ and _Dragon's Bind_ were blown away by two small tornadoes. He'd been hoping to use them to lock his opponent down, but already his back row was out of commission.

"Next, I Normal Summon _The Phantom Knights of Cloven Helm_!"

The bastard's first monster was a silver broken knight's helmet and disembodied hands, with blue spectral energy leaking out of the construct. Yugo was able to see through the knight's broken visor a blue blank face with two dark spots for eyes, which he had to admit was slightly unnerving.

**The Phantom Knights of Cloven Helm/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 500**

"I then activate the effect of _The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak_ in my GY! By banishing it, I can add 1 'The Phantom Knights' card from my Deck to my hand! I choose to add _The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine_ , and then set it face-down!"

The set card manifested, surprisingly enough in the Spell & Trap Zone, but Yugo's foe wasn't done yet.

" _The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine_ can be activated on the turn it is Set when I have no Traps in my GY! I will activate it right now!"

When the card flipped face-up, another blue-specter monster floated out of it, this time being a plate of steel-grey chest armor with blue flames emerging from where the limbs should've been located.

**The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Normal/ATK: 0/DEF: 300 (Currently not treated as a Trap Card)**

"Wait, what the hell?" Yugo spluttered. "Not treated as a Trap card? Since when do Trap Monsters do that?"

"My Phantom Knights aren't regular Trap monsters." the bastard replied curtly. "When they use their effects, they are not treated as Trap cards when summoned as monsters, freeing my Spell & Trap Zones for more of them! But that's the least of your problems. I overlay my Level 4 _Cloven Helm_ and _Shade Brigandine_!"

The two ghost-warriors turned into thick streams of purple energy, flying through the air until a galaxy-portal opened up in the middle of the dueling field, causing them to dive into it. Just as they did, a pillar of blue energy burst from the portal, and a massive creature began to emerge.

" _Formed from pitch-black darkness, to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! Descend now! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"_

A dragon, whose scales were colored in shades of blue and purple, roared, staring Yugo down. The creature had longer and more skeletal wings than Clear Wing, and was shaped a bit differently, being more bipedal in nature as it had two long legs that ended in fully formed feet. The claws were also adorned with two large blades, and the chest adorned with grey armor. A massive ram-like blade jutted out to serve as the beast's chin, and its body was covered in purple-and-pink orbs.

Yet, despite the beast's obvious differences to Yugo's dragon...he still couldn't help but feel that the beast was familiar, almost as if he was staring down another version of Clear Wing. A burning feeling, like heartburn, was building in Yugo's throat, and he only felt more enraged staring at this **relative** of his dragon, wanting nothing more than to tear it apart.

**Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon/DARK/Rank 4/Dragon/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000**

"So first you copy my face, and now you copy my dragon?!" Yugo roared. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I'm the one who is going to defeat you!" the bastard yelled back, rage taking his face over as well. Yugo didn't know why though. What did Rin's kidnapper have anything to get angry about?

"Go! _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon,_ attack! Lightning Disobey of Rebellion!"

Obeying its master, the purple dragon's chin-fang glowed violently with blue energy, with electricity building in its wings, before it flew forward, aiming to kill its rival.

"Fight back! _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon,_ Helldive Whirlwind Slasher!"

The white dragon roared back in defiance, and flew upwards into the air, building green energy in its wings, before spiraling downwards to face its opponent head-on.

The two dragons clashed, both seeming equal in power. When one moved, the other maneuvered perfectly to counter it. Yet it was a savage battle to determine which dragon would be on top. Which one would survive. Which one would be devoured by the other!

But they were equally matched in powers. One final head-on collision ended with a burst of energy that consumed both dragons, destroying them both and kicking debris and dust from the ruined city everywhere.

When it cleared however, both duelists were still standing tall, glaring daggers at each other.

"Damn it…" Yugo growled, hating how his field was bare.

"Over there!" an unfamiliar voice called.

Yugo looked forward and saw a boy around Tama's height, dressed in a tight purple trench coat, running towards them, flanked by yet more duelists similar to the ones that Yugo had fought earlier, being dressed in worn-down, battle-scarred clothing that seemed to mix into the dark ruined city.

"Tch...reinforcements." the White Rider growled.

Yugo would've loved to tear the bastard's allies apart. He really would've...but another set of instincts kicked in. He had no monsters to defend himself, and so if any of them decided to make a battle royale duel, it would probably not end well.

With no other choice, Yugo revved up his D-Wheel's engines, and stormed away, ending the duel with no result.

As he got farther and farther away, it began to dawn on Yugo that despite his hopes of finding Rin, he'd come no closer to doing so. She was nowhere near the bastard, meaning that she might've been somewhere else. The thought that he had just gone on a wild goose chase was immediately chased out of his mind. He couldn't give up hope. Rin was out there, and he would find her!

He had to.

"I swear I'll find you Rin! Count on it!" Yugo yelled to the sky, forcing away tears that threatened to form as a brilliant light consumed him and his D-Wheel…

And sent him right back to where he started, at home, right on the doorstep of the orphanage where he and Rin grew up. He'd seen children occasionally being adopted here and there, but in a place as poor as the Commons, such an occurrence was incredibly rare, since after all, there was no better home to be seen for several miles, unless you talked of the upper districts, which rarely showed interest in adopting Commons. He'd heard of a certain program started up by some French woman from the Tops that took in some kids, but it had never come for him or Rin, so Yugo didn't give it much thought.

It wasn't lost on Yugo that the one time he or Rin had a chance to leave the orphanage...it had not been for a better life, or...whatever it was that her kidnapper planned to do to her, but he was certain that it couldn't be good.

"Yugo!" a soft, older voice called.

Yugo was jolted out of his thoughts as he saw a middle-aged woman with medium-length brown hair and large glasses dressed in a simple outfit that came with an apron, standing near the gate entrance, along with a young girl with neat scarlet hair and simple dress, and a boy his age with similar crimson hair, albeit slightly messier, and more than a few dirt smudges on himself and the dark red-and-black garbage collector uniform he was wearing.

"Where have you been?" the woman asked, looking all over the D-Wheeler, as if to spot any injuries. "You and Rin were gone for so long! Tama said that he last saw you three days ago!" She then looked around. "And...where's Rin?"

"Rin was…" Yugo trailed off, his bravado from his prior declaration already trailing away.

"Was what?" the boy asked, instinctively grabbing onto the younger girl.

"She was kidnapped, okay? Are you happy?!" he yelled. "She got taken by some bastard who looked like me and now she's gone!"

It's often said that men shouldn't cry, as it shows weakness. But Yugo didn't give a damn about that right now. Right now, his strength just seemed to leave him, and he was left bawling over the shoulder of the one person he and Rin could really call a guardian, with one of the few friends he and Rin had outside of the orphanage lending a hand.

He told them the full story of course, leaving them in a state of disbelief at how outlandish it was...but considering the evidence that it had indeed happened before their eyes, they really had no choice but to accept it.

Masuyo Kimura, the brown-haired caretaker of the orphanage, did attempt to file a Missing Persons report, but Security barely paid it any mind. People disappeared all the time in the Commons, they reasoned, either because of gang violence, sex trafficking, forced conscription into the underground labor camps, or because they were thrown into the Facility for life and never seen again.

The caretaker was usually a calm and amiable person, but even she had her limits. Thankfully, she was able to calm herself, knowing of Security's rather heavy-handed retaliations against even the most minor of complaints.

Polo, the red-haired youth who had left his younger sister, Karen, at the orphanage while he tried to make money for his family by taking whatever jobs he could find, promised Yugo that he would keep an eye out for Rin or anyone else suspicious...but he sadly brought in no updates besides reports of the usual criminal activity in the Commons. Yugo appreciated it however, especially for those nights where he dreamed of his adversary arriving in Synchro to gloat, only to be defeated by a vengeful Yugo…

Of course, when Yugo woke up and realized that it was a dream, all of the satisfaction and catharsis just faded away. The lack of updates and life going on just made it worse.

Tama, the grouchy dark-skinned mechanic who had lent his services to Yugo and Rin while they were building their D-Wheel, and had offered advice whenever he could (When it wasn't his trademark pessimistic snark or sarcasm) just stared in shock when he heard about the whole matter. He wasn't exactly one to try to lift up people's spirits though, keeping the awful and perhaps likely truth that Yugo would never find Rin to himself.

Still, he offered to give Yugo some free tune-ups for his D-Wheel, if it might help, small as it was.

Word passed down to those outside of the orphanage, such as the delinquent Kasumi, who went by her street name of 'Yanki', and her gang, as well as some of the vendors who Yugo and Rin had known during their time spent building their D-Wheel.

But just because they knew, didn't mean that they could help (And getting 'help' from Kasumi was like trying to get water from fire, so Yugo really didn't bother besides holding her off in a Riding Duel). Yugo's only method of finding Rin was Clear Wing's mysterious power to teleport himself in-between dimensions, but much to his chagrin, it never worked when he wanted to. He tried all sorts of measures and plans to get Clear Wing's powers to work, but none of them even got a glow out of the card.

(Tama had just given Yugo a 'I cannot believe you just said that' stare when Yugo had lost patience with his dragon's lack of response after one particularly embarrassing incident)

So he spent his days tearing through the streets, mind bent on finding Rin's kidnapper, but no luck.

Bit by bit, Yugo began discarding that which he considered unimportant in his quest to find the one he held most precious in the world. He spent less time at home, and more time on the streets. He didn't pay much attention to local news, tuning out anything that he considered a distraction. He ate only when his stomach could not take much more of any refusal to eat, and he found himself sleeping less and less.

One night, Yugo was resuming yet another high-speed rage ride. If anyone happened to take a closer look at the boy, they would see heavy bags underneath his eyes, and a crazed, almost desperate look. They might've even seen a pale-green light sparkling on and off from his eyes as well. His clothes were messy, or at least messier than usual, and his D-Wheel, once polished constantly, was coated in grime.

"I'll find you Rin...I'll find you…" Yugo whispered softly, trying to keep his eyes open.

He started down another street, recognizing it as the one that would take him down to Tama's garage. He mentally went over the route he could take there to go home, but if he did that…

"No! Gotta find Rin! Need to find...her…"

Yugo felt his stomach growling. He hadn't eaten for awhile...but he was used to it. He could go another night without any food. Without any fruits...or even some nice, juicy meat…

He shook it off, accelerating so that he could jolt himself awake with the incoming wind. And indeed, this would've worked…

Had it not been for the fact that there was a sharp turn up ahead, and in Yugo's way was a tough wooden fence. Of course, he blasted through it no problem...but as a large number of discarded trash bags, associated refuse, and random bits of concrete were scattered behind it, his momentum quickly ended as he crashed, causing him to slam onto the ground, helmet dangling from his head.

"R-Rin...I'll save you...don't worry…"

And then darkness overtook his eyes.

* * *

" _Is he okay?"_

" _He wasn't too badly bruised when I found him. Miss Kimura's getting him some soup now. Damn that idiot, he cost me my last two cups of Red Demon's Noodles!"_

" _Is this really the time for that?"_

" _No, but stupid costs extra. In this case, extra for me."_

" _Dude, you know what he's going through right?!"_

" _No shit, of course I know, and I also know he cost me-"_

" _Quiet! Both of you!"_

" _Y-yes sensei…"_

" _Hey, I'm just stating the…"_

" _Tama…"_

" _Um, right, ma'am…"_

Slowly, Yugo opened his eyes. He looked around. Surrounding him were Miss Kimura, frantically preparing something warm in a bowl, and a very ashamed-looking Polo and Tama (Though less so with the latter). Yugo noticed that he had been dressed in his casual clothes of a plain blue t-shirt and grey shorts, and there was no sign of his riding suit.

"Where am I?" he murmured.

"Oh, thank goodness, he's awake!" Miss Kimura sighed with relief.

"You feeling okay, dude?" Polo asked.

"I swear...we can't leave you alone for one second without you doing something stupid." Tama grumbled, shaking his head.

"One more word out of you, mister, and I'll kindly ask you to leave my orphanage this instant!" Miss Kimura snapped.

Quite clearly intimidated, Tama backed away, letting the caretaker fuss over Yugo. Without hesitating, she shoved a bowl of hot noodle-soup (Which Yugo recognized as Red Demon's Noodle that had been poured into a bowl) in front of Yugo, along with a banana, glaring at him with a look that mixed anger and worry. Feeling a twinge of shame, Yugo silently picked at his food...until he realized how hungry he was and began chowing down on the hot meal, almost choking until a glass of water was handed to him, allowing him to force it all down and take a breath.

Everyone was silent as Yugo finished eating. Once it was clear that he had swallowed it all and there was no risk of him gagging again, the verdict was passed.

"I can't believe you were found in such a state!" Miss Kimura scolded. "Dirty, half-starved, and lying in a pile of rubbish to boot!"

"I was looking for-" Yugo began, but the caretaker put up her hand.

"No excuses, thank you very much!" she rebuffed. "Now, you are going to stay here and help with the chores. You've neglected them for too long! You are not to leave the orphanage for two whole weeks! I've already asked Tama to store your D-Wheel and riding uniform until then, so don't get any ideas about sneaking out!"

Yugo was speechless!

"B-but Sensei, I have to save Rin!" he cried. "I don't know what that weird bastard did with her! I don't even know if she's okay!"

"I am not going to let you kill yourself from exhaustion!" Miss Kimura said firmly. "It won't do Rin any good if she learns that you've died looking for her! Think about how that would make her feel! You're not going to save Rin by driving yourself raggard! Instead, you are going to get a good night's sleep and a hard day's work starting tomorrow, and that is final, Mister!"

"But-" Yugo tried, only to start feeling sleepy.

"I didn't think that over-counter stuff would ever kick in…" Tama muttered from a corner.

"C-c'mon…" Yugo yawned.

His bed was just so comfortable...he almost forgot what it was like to sleep in one...and his tummy felt nice and warm too.

"See you in the morning champ." Polo winked, but the expression on his face wasn't like his usual peppy grin, but much sadder and morose.

"Yeah...g'night…" Yugo managed to get out before he got knocked out cold.

Next morning however, he shot up from his bed, and was scrambling to find his D-Wheel, only to find Miss Kimura and Polo instead, the latter handing Yugo a broom and a note from Tama (filled with insults and complaints, before almost casually informing Yugo of the punishment he'd been handed).

It didn't help that a crowd of the younger orphans was standing behind him, looking at him with very anxious faces.

Yugo would readily admit that he was an idiot...but even he was able to get the message.

He felt incredibly guilty that he wasn't able to resume finding Rin, and even more so that he was locked up for even trying. He found himself doing twice the normal amount of chores that before, he and Rin would do together (If they were able to coordinate, but while they could work in tandem around complex machinery, regular household duties were a whole other story), as well as helping Miss Kimura with duties that he'd previously neglected.

Not only that, but Polo cheerfully came down a few times, requesting Yugo to help him with some of his work as well, specifically stating that it at least came with a cost-free lunch (Though he'd have to work his keep to get a proportionate amount of food). Yugo would've preferred saying 'no', but Polo, with that same smile on his face, informed Yugo that his compliance wasn't a factor.

So Yugo found himself either helping to lug around trash (With a cart, not a D-Wheel), help fix broken doors, windows, and stairs, or just work with hard labor with construction jobs, on days with Polo dropping by.

He tried to escape over to Tama's place during one of these 'excursions', but the young mechanic resorted to assaulting Yugo with his wrench in order to keep him out, before hauling the prospective Friendship Cup duelist back over to Polo and flipping him (Yugo, obviously) off for good measure.

Needless to say, Yugo did ultimately understand what they were doing (Which was helped by the fact that he was on a regular eating-sleeping schedule again), but that didn't mean he particularly found the 'lesson' to be enjoyable. As soon as the two weeks were up, that night he made a beeline over to Tama's place, whereupon he found his D-Wheel to be…

"Completely polished?" Yugo gaped as he observed the machine. It was completely clean, with not a speck of grime to be found.

"Honestly, the fact that you let it get that dirty is disgusting." Tama grunted. "Seriously dude, take maintaining your D-Wheel more seriously. I can give you a full list of the problems beyond dirt smearing the paint."

He did in fact via a clipboard. Yugo grimaced as he looked over the results of how his mad searching for Rin had taken a heavy toll on his D-Wheel.

While he did so, Tama capped off the 'moral of the story'. "I don't think Rin's going to give a damn if you show up to save her all covered in mud or whatever nasty stuff you crawl in, but being all skeletal and riding a vehicle that looks like it'll rust and break apart any second is a whole other story."

"Yeah, yeah…" Yugo muttered, causing Tama's eyebrow to twitch furiously at Yugo brushing him off.

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" he barked.

"Nah, I get it." Yugo replied calmly. "Thanks. Seriously, I mean it. You guys kept me from self-destructing."

"Well, for all the good that did, you're welcome." Tama grunted, shrugging his shoulders. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to put our D-Wheel back home and get some sleep so that first thing tomorrow, I can get back to finding Rin!" Yugo replied as he drove off.

Tama looked at the distance with bemusement, shaking his head. "Well, they say you can never dampen the enthusiasm of a moron."

As Yugo drove into the night, he started to hear an echo in his head. It was faint at first, so he thought he was hearing another rider, such as that new criminal that was making the news, known simply as 'Spirit', but the echo turned into something far stronger and clearer than a person's voice or the sound of an engine.

Yugo recognized the sound of a dragon's roar…

_Clear Wing's roar…_

Then, in his duel disk, a bright green light began to glow, and the roar of the dragon became even stronger.

"Wait, is...is this…" Yugo asked, not daring to hope.

But it was. The light became brighter, and Yugo immediately accelerated, knowing what was happening.

"Alright, I get it...let's go Clear Wing! Let's beat that bastard to a pulp!"

Yugo drove in the light, feeling himself get transported at long last. He didn't know where he would end up, but he knew that when he did, he would be ready for anything that got in his way. The path before him was clear, and nothing could stand in his way!

Except, as it turned out...there was something in his way.

To be specific, it was a large, sturdy lamp-post.

CRASH!

"Oh come on!" Yugo griped, ripping his helmet off as he surveyed the damage.

Thankfully, it seemed that whatever alloy Tama had used to refurbish the front of the D-Wheel was much more resistant than the previous one, as there was barely a scratch on the motorcycle. The same could not be said for the lamp-post, which had been totaled and fallen like a great oak tree.

"Geez…" Yugo muttered as he looked up and saw…

There, on a gazebo, stood the opponent from before.

Anger and determination flooded Yugo's mind.

"I found you, you bastard!" he growled. "Last time we got interrupted, but not this time!"

He was ready.

* * *

"Oi! Oi!"

It can be said that one of the most annoying and persistent ways to wake someone up, even if they aren't exactly asleep, is to say one word constantly and endlessly, just to get a reaction out of them. Sometimes it can be a child trying to wake up their parents, other times it can be a younger sibling pestering the elder…

And in Yuzu Hiiragi's case, it would be that of a boy whose face was very similar to someone she knew…

A boy whose face was right up in front of her own, while she was lying on the ground.

Suffice to say, the red-jacketed girl's reaction was what could honestly be expected.

"AIYEEE!" She screamed, immediately shoving the boy away as she shot up to a sitting position.

CRASH!

"Oww…" the boy groaned as his back lay against a white-and-yellow colored motorcycle-like vehicle with black hornet-like markings on the back and arm-rest sections. He recovered as quickly as he fell though, and immediately sniped back a retort. "Even when I'm checking to see if you're okay...Are you kidding me?!"

Now, had this been his usual scenario, the girl in front of him would've gone off on her own tirade and lecture, and perhaps thrown in a punch or kick or two while she was at. It would all also be punctuated with the word 'Idiot' enough times that if the duo had an American dime for each time the girl said (or rather, _yelled_ ) the word, they might have had enough money to move from their current living arrangements to a significantly better location.

Instead, all the boy's angry griping got him was…

"...Eh?"

Utter confusion.

It took Yuzu a moment to mentally recap what had just happened, as the boy in front of her, upon seeing that she had no clue what was going on, immediately turned to his motorcycle and examined it for damage.

Just at the start of the day, it had been the beginnings of the semi-finals of the Miami Championship, where the top sixteen duelists, which had included herself, her closest friend Yuya Sakaki, Noboru Gongenzaka, and the mysterious duelist from 'Heartland' named Shun Kurosaki. They had been sent into a battle royale, looking for Pendulum cards that had been scattered in a massive Action Field that sprawled across most of the city limits. Yuzu had ended up in a duel against a representative of the Anatolia branch of Leo Duel School, whose name was Halil, before the interactive nature of Action Duels had caused them to get caught in Gongenzaka's duel against a duelist named Olga, which had ended in both Yuzu and Gongenzaka claiming victory.

So far so good. It was an unusual format, but that was to be expected with Action Duels. They were designed to create a more intricate dueling experience, by using Real Solid Vision, a complete implementation of hard light into _Duel Monsters'_ well-known Solid Vision, to make the holograms tangible and thus more life-like than ever.

What next?

The battle royale had been divided into four areas: Forest, Ice, Lava, and Temple. Yuzu had wandered into the Lava section, when an orange-haired duelist in an orange-and-blue suit had jumped out of nowhere, and introduced himself as Dennis Macfield, from LDS' Broadway branch. Dueling against him was nothing compared to Halil, and Yuzu, despite her best efforts, was ultimately defeated by him and his Xyz Monster.

Then, a girl with an identical face to hers, but with different clothes, had appeared on the bridge where she and Dennis had dueled, and challenged him to a duel, believing he was an Xyz remnant. They had dueled, but were suddenly interrupted by a group of masked duelists, before being taken away by, of all people, two ninja duelists, Tsukikage and Hikage.

It had been then that Yuzu had gotten her bearings, and learned who the duelist whose face was the same as hers was. Her name was Selena, and she had come from the Fusion Dimension's Academia, hunting down remnants of duelists from the Xyz Dimension.

Yuzu was then further reminded of what had happened prior to the battle royale. A duelist with a face identical to Yuya, but in black clothes very different from that of the white-suited boy in front of her. His name was Yuto, and he and Shun came from the Xyz Dimension after it had been attacked by Academia, trying to find someone who, like Selena, shared Yuzu's face. That someone was named Ruri Kurosaki, Shun's younger sister. Yuzu had even thought that Selena might've been Ruri, but Selena's usage of Fusion Summoning had put the kibosh on that.

And as for Selena herself, she explained that Academia's goal was to unite the Four Dimensions, explaining that goal to Yuzu as if it was something noble. Yuzu however, had seen a sample of that 'goal' when Sora Shiuin, a young boy who used Fusion Summoning as well, had dueled Shun. The resulting duel had destroyed much of the Action Field, known as _Future Metropolis Heartland_ , and was closer to warfare than a simple game for fun.

Immediately, Yuzu revealed what the war's true purpose was, and encouraged Selena to find Shun and learn about the truth. The two had switched clothes (and Selena didn't seem to know that changing clothes smack dab in the outside was not normal, so that had been awkward), and went on their separate ways, so that the masked duelists, who were known as the Obelisk Force, would go after Yuzu instead of Selena.

It hadn't been long before exactly that happened, and three of the masked soldiers were about to duel Yuzu when... **he** appeared.

Yuzu shuddered as she remembered Yuri, the boy from the Fusion Dimension who shared Yuya's face, drop down from an icy ledge and order the Obelisk Force away, carelessly tossing the carded forms of Halil and Olga as he did so...oh right, Carding. A strange process by which Academia sealed people into cards, for a purpose Yuzu didn't know anything about, other than that a mysterious Professor had forbade Yuri to do that to her.

The two had dueled, but unlike her previous duels...it was an utter nightmare. Halil had been tricky, and Dennis even moreso, but dueling Yuri...Yuzu didn't want to even think about his nightmarish plant creatures. She had no choice, but to run, hearing Yuri taunt her, about how he was reminded of how he had hunted down Ruri and Rin while chasing her...forcing Yuzu to try to hide from him desperately, but to no avail…

Until the very white-suited boy fixing his motorcycle had driven out of nowhere, saw Yuzu, and disembarked his motorcycle to hug 'Rin', before Yuzu's bracelet had glowed a bright pink light, which it tended to do whenever...Yuya and those who had his face were ever together...and then it had been dark…

In fact, it was still dark, since a quick glance up at the sky revealed a moonlit night.

But...what did that mean right now? Yuzu was utterly clueless as she slowly got up, and looked around at her surroundings. Both she and the white-suited motorcycle rider were at the end of a dirty alleyway, surrounded by buildings that had peeling paint on them, revealing the brickwork from underneath. Weeds were growing out of worn-out pavement, and several discarded crates full of discarded bottles or cobwebs decorated the narrow space, along with empty oil barrels and dirty tarps.

"Ugh, really wish I'd brought a flashlight…" the boy grumbled quietly, glaring at the somewhat cloudy night sky. "At least it looks okay. Might have to take it over to Tama though, just to be on the safe side…"

Then he turned to Yuzu. "You need to be careful with it! Hell, you should know better than almost anyone else! You and I built this thing, Rin!"

"R-Rin?" Yuzu stammered, recognizing the name from Yuri's taunts.

"Yeah! Don't know why you're wearing that fancy red jacket, but since when were you this clumsy?!" the white-suited boy demanded.

"Um, I-I'm not Rin." Yuzu said meekly.

"Huh?" the boy asked, incredulously. "Of course you're Rin! Just because you're wearing different clothes doesn't mean I can't recognize you!"

"No, no, you're wrong! My name is Yuzu! Yuzu Hiiragi!" Yuzu defended, gaining a bit more confidence.

A few moments of silence passed before the boy snapped his fingers, as if a lightbulb had gone off inside his head.

"Now I get it! It's that amnesia thing isn't it! I just have to jog your memories, don't I Rin?"

The boy in front of Yuzu couldn't be any different from Yuri if he tried. Yuzu could feel none of the disturbing...aura, as one might put it, from Yuri. Plus, while Yuri seemed intelligent, the boy in front of her seemed to be as dumb as a sack of bricks. Not even Yuya would say or think something so asinine and…

Wait...Yuya…

Yuzu remembered what had happened before the second round of the MCS. When she had found an unconscious Yuya in the local park gazebo, and after he had woken up, and told her about Yuto, and a boy who had also looked like him, using Synchro monsters, named…

"Yugo?" Yuzu asked instinctively.

"Yes!" Yugo whooped cheerfully. "That's my name! I knew you'd start remembering Rin!"

Of course, then Yuzu realized a certain similarity between the name of the boy in front of her, and the name of the summoning technique belonging to the tyrannical dimension where Academia was based.

"Then, you're with Fusion?"

In an instant, Yugo's good mood and happy cheer dissipated, and his scowl returned. All of a sudden, he started to pick up on subtle differences from the girl before him in comparison to Rin. Her gaze was significantly softer, having none of the sharp glare of Rin's eyes, her facial expressions seemed much more delicate than Rin's, who even at her calmest had an undercurrent of stability, and her voice had inflections in it that Rin's voice had never featured.

Not to mention, he had yet _another_ person to add to the list of 'People getting his name wrong in the last few weeks'.

"My name is Yugo, YUGO!" he snapped, emphasizing the shorter pronunciation of 'Yu' in comparison to Yuugo. "Don't get it wrong!"

Yuzu jumped back, tears of fear leaking from her eyes as she squealed nervously at Yugo's outburst. Then the boy turned around, disgruntled.

"Yeah, you can't be Rin! Rin would never get my name wrong!"

At this, Yuzu sighed. At least she knew he wasn't with Academia, and he now knew for certain that she and Rin were not the same person. However, that still didn't explain where she was. The decrepit buildings that surrounded her looked so different from most buildings in Miami City, not to mention she had an instinctive, gut feeling, that she was no longer anywhere near home.

"So, um…" Yuzu asked nervously, wetting her lips. "Where are we exactly?"

Yugo turned around. "Huh? Oh. That's easy. We're in Neo Domino City. My hometown."

"N-Neo Domino City?" Yuzu cried out, fearing the worst. After all, if Heartland City was in the Xyz Dimension, and Miami City was in the Standard Dimension, that meant... "So, we're not in...Standard anymore?"

"Duh! We're in the Synchro Dimension!" Yugo huffed.

Yuzu felt as if ten thousand bricks were falling atop her, as the terrible realization that she was no longer home dawned. Separated from her friends, family, and...Yuya...in an unfamiliar land, after already being attacked by duelists who had come from other dimensions.

"We're...really...in...the Synchro Dimension?" Yuzu mumbled, legs feeling like jelly as she started to stagger.

"Uh, yeah..." Yugo replied with uncertainty, seeing Yuzu start to falter.

It was too much. Yuzu remembered the first time events had become overwhelming for her, when she had no idea of what was going on when Yuto had first popped up, and then, not too long afterwards when Shun had mistaken her for Ruri. Then the time when she feared that Yuya would never awaken after the duel that Yugo and Yuto had engaged in. And now, the fourth time seemed to be the charm, as she was now far and away from her loved ones, with no idea what dangers awaited her in a foreign land, all while the threat of Academia, and their apparent desire to capture her, now fully sunk in.

She couldn't help it. Hot liquid from her eyes dripped down her face, helplessness fully taking root within her. She was completely alone, and had no idea what to do now. Hands clasped to her face, Yuzu fell to her knees, letting despair have its way with her as she cried.

"Dad...Tatsuya...Ayu...Futoshi...Gongenzaka...YUYA!" the girl wept loudly.

For a few minutes, Yuzu let her tears out in full, not caring where she was. She couldn't handle the strain any longer, and just sobbed, unable to do anything else.

"Here."

Yuzu blinked, trying to see past the tears. Yugo was awkwardly standing over to the side, a pink handkerchief in his hands, offering it to Yuzu.

"Th-thank you." Yuzu sniffled, taking the cloth to wipe her face, before leaning against the worn-out wall, feeling completely drained.

Yugo looked at the girl before him, starting to realize that he'd made an error back in the icy tundras he'd been navigating just a few hours ago. He wanted to say something, but figured that that might not be the best use of his time, and that she might want to be alone for a few minutes. Quickly, he ran to the opening of the alleyway and looked down the street, which at this point was in a T-shape, with a wire-mesh fence guarding an inactive Duel-Lane Slot blocking off the road in front of him. Yugo had been around these roads enough times to know that to get to Tama's garage, he'd need to take the right pathway.

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least whatever had warped them out of the Standard Dimension hadn't plucked them in any of the Tops' Districts. That would've been troublesome.

The white rider walked back over to his D-Wheel, where the girl who looked so much like Rin, but was not Rin, sat on the ground, legs curled up to her face.

Yugo coughed to get her attention, still looking awkward. "Uh, yeah...sorry for taking you out of your Dimension. Clear Wing does that a lot."

"Clear Wing?" Yuzu asked, wondering how that explanation made so much more sense to her than it would've a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, ever since that bastard took Rin, Clear Wing's been taking me across dimensions so I could find her." Yugo explained. "I caught him in Xyz for a little while, but had to get out of there when reinforcements came. Finally beat him after I ran into that lampost in Standard, but still no sign of Rin anywhere."

Yuzu looked at Yugo for a few seconds, questions swarming through her head as she tried to keep up with everything that was going on. Why was this situation so complicated? "Uh, could you explain what happened from the beginning? Please?"

"Ugh, fine." Yugo sighed, only to then press a button on his D-Wheel that opened a compartment containing a pink-and-white helmet, before tossing the helmet over to Yuzu, who caught it awkwardly. "But if we're gonna be talking, I'd rather we do it while moving."

"W-wait, what?!" Yuzu asked, standing up as she hoped that Yugo was not saying what she thought he was saying.

Yugo pointed to his D-Wheel as if the question was a no-brainer. "Yeah, hop on. I've got somewhere to be anyways. I'll tell you about what happened to Rin on the way over to a friend of mine."

"D-Do I have to?" Yuzu stammered.

"Just get on!" Yugo scowled, putting his helmet on and fixing himself into the seat. "You can ride on the back. Rin does it all the time. It's perfectly safe!"

Of course, Yugo elected not to mention the number of times he and Rin had gotten injured testing their D-Wheel, figuring that it might freak Yuzu out even more. It certainly made Miss Kimura worried at the very least.

Putting the helmet on, Yuzu carefully propped herself atop the back part of the D-Wheel, which, while large enough to seat someone, would require her to grip the edges as tightly as possible if she wanted to stay upright/avoid getting smashed into the pavement.

"Alright, you good?" Yugo asked when Yuzu seemed to have seated herself.

The red-jacketed girl responded with a nervous nod.

"Alright! Gotta move fast before Tama hits the hay! Hang on!"

And before Yuzu knew it, Yugo was accelerating out of the alleyway and turning a corner onto the streets.

"AIYEEEEEEEEEEE!" Yuzu screamed as Yugo sped up. "S-stop! Slow down! Help! Someone! AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Come on, don't you have D-Wheels where you come from?" Yugo asked, completely nonplussed at going at his usual semi-hurry speed.

"I-I don't even ride regular motorcycles!" Yuzu squealed.

"Huh, you're missing out then!" Yugo smirked, failing to surpass a grin as he got into the groove of riding.

Yuzu shut her eyes, electing to only scream whenever Yugo hastily turned a corner. She swore she wouldn't let go, or even open her eyelids until she was certain that they were back on solid ground, all thoughts of conversing with Yugo about the circumstances of Rin's abduction completely out of her head.

Not daring to count the minutes, the girl from Standard was glad when she heard the words "We're here".

When Yuzu opened her eyes, she saw that Yugo had stopped in another backalley, this time in front of a two-story building with a garage door that had the word 'Scrap' spray-painted on it at various parts. To her left was a smaller door with a bell hanging in front of it on a string, a bell that Yugo immediately rushed up to and rang as roughly and loudly as he could.

"Oi, Tama! You there? I need you to look at this to be on the safe side! OI!"

A light at the upper floor turned on, and just a minute later, the door opened to reveal a boy with lightly tanned skin, dirty brown scraggly hair, and a dirty turquoise shirt and shorts for pajamas. His eyes had bags under them. Yuzu noticed that he was a few years older than her and Yugo, seeming just a shade older than Shun by a few months.

"What is it Yugo?" the sleepy youth asked. "I JUST got to bed!"

"Then I'm right on time!" Yugo chirped.

"...I'm not even going to try dignifying that with a response." Tama yawned as he took notice of the girl behind his client. "Oh hey, you found Rin, congratulations. Don't know where she stole that fancy jacket, but whatever. Can I go back to sleep?"

"I just need to borrow your tools to be safe, okay? Your place was closer tonight anyways! Oh, and that's Yuzu, not Rin." Yugo rapidly explained.

Tama blinked, clearly too tired to want to process Yugo's explanation, and yawned, eyes bleary from exhaustion. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to figure out how to translate Yugo's latest brand of nonsense.

"...Just...ugh...fine. You got ten minutes, and then I'm kicking you and whoever-the-hell-isn't-Rin out of here." Tama grumbled, giving up on logic as he pulled out a remote that he proceeded to press, opening the garage door.

"Alright!" Yugo cheered as he rolled the D-Wheel into the garage.

Yuzu felt nervous about stepping into another stranger's home, but followed Yugo into the garage anyways. It was no different from a basic mechanic's garage from Standard anyways, aside from being slightly dustier and messier, being filled with parts that she presumed could be added onto vehicles like the one that she had...ridden on, for lack of a better word.

"Yeah, usually I check up on the D-Wheel at home, but eh, this place was closer." Yugo explained as he examined the machine, eyes alight in focus.

Several pregnant minutes passed, with Yuzu fidgeting nervously, before a hand tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to shriek in surprise.

"AIYEEEE!"

"Gah! Calm down woman!" Tama startled, almost dropping the cups of tea he had in his hands. "The hell's with you, Rin? You're not usually this jumpy unless you're punching someone. Mainly Yugo, or Kasumi. Preferably Kasumi."

"Already told you, her name's Yuzu!" Yugo put in as he stood up. "Alright, doesn't look damaged. That's a relief."

"Which means that you can drink your tea, and skedaddle so I can get back to hitting the hay." Tama yawned.

"Um, so…" Yuzu began.

"Ugh, stop stuttering and just say what you want to say, woman." Tama grumbled.

Yuzu looked back at the young garage-owner, who looked at her grumpily, before turning around to speak to Yugo once again.

"You, you were going to tell me what happened to Rin?" Yuzu asked, causing Yugo to turn stone-faced again as he remembered that awful day.

Tama didn't cut in or interrupt, clearly knowing that this was not a joking matter, instead choosing to examine the fence outside that guarded yet another inactive Duel Lane.

"It all started a few months ago." Yugo began at last. "It was...weird. Rin said that she had this feeling that someone was following her, and well, when you're living in this place, you kind of _get_ these kinds of instincts, you know? Heck, even I felt something, like I was hearing some kind of hissing roar. So we were keeping our eyes peeled, but...well…"

Yugo's voice trailed off again as the events played out in his head. Again, just as they had over and over when the girl of his dreams had been taken.

Sighing, Yugo told Yuzu a brief summary of what had happened to Rin. How she had been kidnapped, how Clear Wing had displayed a mysterious power to teleport him between dimensions, and how he had ended up in the city of Heartland, encountering the duelist who had fought Rin, before reinforcements drove him off and he had ended back up in his home dimension.

"I tried getting Clear Wing to warp me again, but nothing worked. I tried everything I could think of, and all I got was Security trying to arrest me for trespassing when I thought it would work when I was in danger!"

"You're lucky that you did that jaywalking in a lower Tops district." Tama reprimanded. "Otherwise, some rich asswipe would've put out an execution warrant for you, and you'd be out there on the duel lanes avoiding Security."

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that one!" Yugo snapped, blushing in embarrassment.

"I don't recall making a deal like that."

Yugo glared at the mechanic, before resuming his story. "Clear Wing finally took me to another dimension a few days ago," he explained. "And there, I found that bastard and gave him the beatdown he deserved!"

"And after that, we learned about 'dimensions'...or whatever science-fiction weird-shit Yugo stumbled into." Tama cut in.

"Oi, whose story is this?" the riding duelist shot back.

It was all Yuzu could do to stop herself from spitting out her tea when the dots clicked to the day that she found Yuya in the gazebo, fainting, and then later having Yuto's dragon in his possession.

"No, you've got it all wrong!" she revealed. "The duelist you fought was Yuto!"

"Yuto?" Yugo asked. "That was his name?"

Yuzu shook her head. "No! The one who took Rin away is from the Fusion Dimension! His name is Yuri!"

"...Who names their kid after lesbian porn manga?" Tama gawked.

Now it was Yuzu's turn to glare at the mechanic, which immediately shut him up. Tama thus wisely chose to vacate the garage and look up at the sky outside instead.

"Wait, wait, run that by me again!" Yugo demanded. "You're saying I took down the wrong guy?"

Yuzu nodded. "Yuto's just like you." she explained. "He had someone precious too. Her name is Ruri, and he and a friend of his, Shun, came to the Standard Dimension looking for her."

Yuzu wisely chose not to over-complicate matters by mentioning that Shun had also gone on a rampage carding LDS employees, which seemed to stop only because he was now...working with LDS for some reason? Given that she didn't know what was going on there and that she hadn't gotten the chance to talk with Yuto since Shun's apparently duel with Masumi and her friends, she figured that it wasn't worth talking about until she got some answers.

"So, the guy from Fusion's the one who took Rin?" Yugo asked, trying to get his facts straight. "And he got me to fight the guy from Xyz after he took this 'Ruri' person?"

"I think so." Yuzu confirmed, setting her cup down on a table. "I met Yuri not too long ago, just before you arrived. He wanted to take me to Academia to the...Professor. If it wasn't for you…"

Neither of them chose to entertain that thought. Instead, Yuzu gave the run-down on their situation.

"There are four boys in each Dimension who have the same face. You, my friend Yuya from Standard, Yuto, and Yuri. And then there's three other girls who have the same face as me...Selena, Ruri, and Rin. And then there's Academia...they were the people who destroyed the Xyz Dimension, and the ones who invaded Standard to capture me and Selena. They want to unite all four Dimensions for some reason too...and turn people into cards."

"Yeah...I took down some of those masked guys down myself back in Standard. Saved this wimpy guy who took off running." Yugo said, before blinking. "Wait, but if the Fusion guy who looks like me is one of the bad guys, then does that mean…?"

"Selena isn't an enemy." Yuzu explained. "She wanted to fight with Academia, but that was because she thought that they were actually doing good. The clothes I'm wearing right now are hers. We swapped clothes so she could get the story from Shun...but I don't know if she made it."

All was silent between the two of them as they mulled over the number of unknown variables and unanswered questions laid out before them, before Tama walked back into the garage, still having eavesdropped, but waiting for them to finish.

"...So, is that it then?" the mechanic asked. "We've solved the mystery about who stole Yugo's girlfriend?"

The D-Wheeler's face turned beet-red at that. "Sh-shut up!" he cried, "I mean, we're not dating or doing anything, I mean, you know that!"

"She's not your girlfriend?" Yuzu asked, genuinely surprised by Yugo's declaration.

"N-no, NO!"

"Don't lie about it boy. You two go at it like an old married couple." Tama sighed. "I'm honestly surprised you haven't joined the 'illustrious' ranks of our city's youth who taste the forbidden fruit at such a young age."

"SHUT UP!" Yugo screamed in embarrassment, not wanting to hear the mechanic's crass declarations on that matter.

Yes, he considered Rin to be the person he considered the most precious to him, but if he said it out loud, no-one, least of all Rin, would ever let him live it down. Besides, he didn't know if she thought the same, what with all of her punches and kicks flying around everywhere whenever she got mad.

Tama rolled his eyes at this, while Yuzu couldn't help but chuckle, glad to have something to laugh about after everything that had happened to her so far.

"So, to recap and make sure we're all on the same page, there's four dimensions, Yugo and Rin have alternate versions of themselves, one of whom is you, and there's an evil empire from the Fusion Dimension called Academia that's basically trying to take it over by turning everyone into cards, right?"

"Oh come on, aren't you the guy who complains when people don't pay attention?" Yugo griped. "What, do you want us to start over from the beginning? 'Cause I can do that, just let me and Yuzu head back over to where Clear Wing dropped us off and I'll-"

"First off, DON'T do that," Tama interrupted, "second, I complain about that because everyone in this city is an idiot with eyes as good as holes in swiss cheese, and third, I'm just confused on that subject since there's more than a few things in OUR dimension that I wanna see gels with this cosmic horror war story from hell."

"...What things?" Yuzu asked, realizing that while she'd had a good idea of what the Fusion Dimension (or at least Academia) was like, and most definitely an impression of whatever remained of the Xyz Dimension, the culture of the Synchro Dimension was not something she'd paid attention to.

Indeed, looking around just the garage, and then outside, there was quite a bit to unpack about Neo Domino…

"Come outside, and we can show you." Tama revealed, walking out, with Yugo following with no hesitation.

Trailing a bit behind, Yuzu soon found herself in the middle of the street next to Tama's garage. Looking around, she saw that almost every building was tightly packed together, and many of them were abandoned to boot. The buildings themselves were all in poor condition, and as she quickly realized, this uniform sight of grey was everywhere, and she had been sitting in that squalor from the moment she'd arrived in the city.

"This is a city built on competition." Tama spat in disgust. "99% of us live in these slums, where we're all known as Commons...while up above, well…"

Yuzu followed Tama's right hand, pointed at tall, gleaming white pillars that stood at various heights and angles, where if she could tilt her neck at the right angle, she could make out tall, gleaming buildings of glass and metal.

"Those are the Tops." Yugo put in. "The 1% who pretty much live well-off. Down here, we're losers, but up there, that's where the winners are. The Tops hold all of the power in Neo Domino, and we're the guys living under their heel."

"Y-you can't be serious!" Yuzu gasped. "This can't be real!"

"After what you just told us, you think something like _this_ is unrealistic?" Tama snorted in disgust. "Sorry to say this Yuzu, but it is, and it's how our world works. A dirty, hypocritical hovel that will never change, no matter who wins and who loses."

Yuzu was somewhat reminded of Shun upon seeing Tama's attitude. But whereas the Raid Raptor user was violent and determined to avenge his hometown, Tama just seemed bitter and resigned to the grim reality of his.

Yet, Yugo seemed to be neither of those things.

"But there is a way for us to get out of the Commons!" he revealed. "It's called the Friendship Cup! The winner is considered the City's champion! And the current winner is a guy who's held his title for a few years now!"

"And that person is…?" Yuzu questioned.

"Jack Atlas!" Yugo cheered. "He's the first person from the Commons to have won the tournament! He's super-huge up there! If he can make it, so can we! That's why Rin and I built that D-Wheel over there! It's so we could enter the Friendship Cup, and challenge Jack ourselves!"

"Where you will most likely lose to The King or some random OP person from nowhere and be humiliated!" Tama said with false encouragement.

"Shut up!" Yugo barked. "We're not gonna lose! Once I find Rin, we'll enter the tournament together, and fulfill our dream!"

"If they don't find some lazy Tops patsy or filler trash from the Commons to fill up the spots" Tama snorted. "The last real big opponent Jack took down was the leader of the Neo Arcadia movement, and to be honest, it's a good thing that that deluded whacko lost."

"Oh yeah, well then if you're so determined that we won't win, then why'd you help me and Rin with those 'discounts' when we were building our D-Wheel?"

"It was all on a whim." Tama said automatically.

Before Yugo could put in another word, or Yuzu could ask about this unfamiliar topic, the ground shook, and a massive hexagonal blue pillar arose from a hatch installed on the ground.

" _A duel is beginning. A duel is beginning. Caution. Caution. A duel is beginning. A duel is beginning."_

"Wait, now what's going on?" Yuzu asked as the pillar opened up, revealing a set of six lanes that connected to another set of six lanes emerging from another pillar, and so on and so forth, creating a honeycomb network of roads high above their heads.

"Tch, it's those duels that Security has to capture rogue duelists." Yugo growled. "They're always making a show out of them."

Yuzu stared at Yugo, clearly wanting to know more.

So the white-suited rider began to talk once again.

"Like I said, the Tops pretty much rule over the Commons. There are a lot of duelists who try their luck challenging the Tops, but it never turns out well. Security is always out to capture them, and sometimes, they'll deliberately set up lanes like this so they can catch the guys. And a lot of them, they'll do it in a duel and broadcast it to everyone."

"Wait, you mean they duel on…" Yuzu asked, looking back at Yugo's D-Wheel.

"Yes, we play card games on motorcycles." Tama replied, immediately re-entering the garage and picking up a remote. "But that's enough exposition on that front. Yugo, get yourself and Rin's freaky quadruplet sister over here. I've got a feeling that _that_ duelist is about to appear again."

"Wait, really?" Yugo questioned as he and Yuzu joined the mechanic, who had turned on an old television set.

"Okay, so they're already broadcasting. Not a good sign." Tama muttered to himself.

"Just tell me already!"

"Yup, it's him." Tama shuddered. "He's back."

"Who's back?" Yuzu asked.

"There's been reports of this crazy riding duelist going around and challenging people to a duel and then killing them." Tama revealed without a moment of hesitation. "People are already starting to call him the second coming of the Duelist Crusher...and it looks like his latest achievement is getting on the news at last."

Looking up at the screen, and registering the gruesome fact that the mechanic had shared. Yuzu saw a duelist riding on a motorcycle that was slightly longer than Yugo's. The D-Wheel was a dark, even shade of blue, streamlined, and with two rather large wheels at the front and back. The only additional color was that of grey-and-black plating in the middle of the vehicle's body.

The rider himself wore a sleek black-and-grey riding suit not too dissimilar from Yugo's own, though it was clearly more leather-based and reminded Yuzu of the stereotypical biker gang image. However, the duelist's helmet completely obscured his face, and the only reason Yuzu could call him a guy was because his figure was clearly masculine in nature.

"That duelist is apparently called 'Spirit'." Tama revealed to Yuzu. "No-one knows what he's after, besides going around and beating whoever he can find. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't come after Yugo after all those days he spent racing down the streets trying to dimension-leap or whatever."

"Yeah? Well I don't care who he is or what he's after." Yugo said. "If he comes after me, then I'll make sure to beat the crap out of him."

"Really now?" Tama questioned with a look. "Alright then, let's see how Security handles him, and then we'll see if you can take him on or not."

* * *

_Twenty minutes earlier…_

The higher up a person is in an organization, the greater their responsibilities tend to be, and the greater their number of appointments and obligations increase as well. Of course, this also tends to come with the benefit of a much higher paycheck and greater prestige, which works very well when the time comes to make deals.

Something that Clark Smith was all too familiar with.

"Champagne sir?" a waiter asked politely and pleasantly.

Instead of replying, the blonde bespectacled man, who wore a grey business suit, shook his head in the negative, and thus the waiter stepped away. Clark Smith wondered sometimes where in the City these people had come from when they were hired. From the Commons for cheap labor? From the Tops for unruly cretins who needed discipline? He knew he would likely never get those answers, but it didn't hurt to wonder about that topic.

Tonight in particular, he did feel to be in a contemplative mood, as it would help the time pass by. The parties and arrangements held by the Tops were, in his eyes, a complete waste of time and resources when he could be in his office continuing to oversee his precious Dimension Express manufacture D-Wheels, cards, and/or new applications for Real Solid Vision. Yes, he understood his position, but he also could not help but find the more...frivolous and social aspects of it highly annoying.

Tonight was the regular business gathering. A place for the victors to mingle with others. To make connections, network, or perhaps even get out of the house because some of these people had inherited fortunes and thus had no motivation to go out and do anything truly productive.

Now, that was where Clark Smith could praise the Commons. At least in their position, there was greater motivation to improve themselves, if only to get out of the slums. Of course, there were also those Commons who seemed resigned to their fate, which disgusted Clark Smith just as much as the lazy play-boy millionaires, but then again, they just stuck to their little musty dirt-shacks and didn't bother him. At least for those Commons who did work hard, there was a goal they had in mind, and it tended to come with them engaging in hard work, even if there was the chance it did not pay off. He could always respect that kind of determination, even if there were times when it had to be crushed.

Not that his current company seemed to have any mind or knowledge on the topic. He had already memorized their faces, and he knew that they weren't his usual business partners or even interested in a deal. They were merely people to speak with to pass the time. There was no need to learn their names.

"You really should drink, Mister Smith, it's proper etiquette after all." a woman wearing plush white-and-grey clothing, topped off by a white hat with an orange band admonished. True to her statement, she was holding a glass of champagne, clearly savoring the alcoholic beverage.

"I...appreciate the sentiment ma'am." the CEO replied. "But I am a very busy man. I have to keep my mind as sharp as possible. The Friendship Cup is coming up, so I have to keep a closer eye on my company's projects."

"Bwahaha! You're a pure workaholic, that's what you are!" a fat man in a brown business suit laughed, face flushed from alcohol consumption, his neatly combed hair already starting to fray.

Clark tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, so that he could hide his disgust at the drunkard. At least his blue-haired companion seemed to keep an eye on him. Did they know each other, or did he simply share Clark's disgust at the decadence? Another idle curiosity of Clark Smith that would likely never be answered.

The CEO looked at his watch. How much longer was this waste of time going to last?

Clark Smith's watch was an advanced digital model. In addition to giving him the time, it was useful as a communications device. He could've used his duel disk for all of that, yes, but he found it to be too unwieldy a good portion of the time thanks to its size, and none of the people around him were duelists to begin with. They could watch duels and comment on them certainly, but the CEO suspected that it would take weeks for these people to even learn the difference between Normal Summons and Special Summons.

Back to the watch, the blonde noticed that he had been sent a message, and his eyes widened as he saw who the I.D. of the sender was.

"Pardon me everyone, I have to take this, something has come up."

Clark Smith immediately dashed behind one of the tents, knowing fully well what was to happen next.

_Everything is in position. Permission to proceed?  
-S-_

The watch was too small for Clark Smith to implement a touch screen, which was the advantage that a duel disk offered. But it still had voice-to-text as a function. And as such, the CEO put his mouth as close to his watch as possible and whispered.

"Proceed"

Almost immediately after he spoke those words, the loud sound of an engine began to echo through the veranda, immediately breaking the calm, peaceful atmosphere of the gathering. Everyone stopped talking as the sound continued, and in fact, began to get louder and louder. Of course, they soon resumed flapping their lips once the shock wore off.

"What is happening?"

"Stop that noise at once!"

"I thought Dobocle was in the Facility!"

This last comment came from the man with the blue-hair, by the name of Daniel, who was watching over his associate, named Paul, who was a notoriously heavy drinker at gatherings thanks to his rather high-appreciation of good wine. He was known to actually try to keep his ears to the ground and thus keep up to date on the more intricate affairs of Neo Domino…

While Daneil would not play any extended role in the events to come besides screaming in terror alongside Tops and Commons alike during a terrible catastrophe less than a month away, he did play a role right now as he squinted over the horizon…

And saw a rider on a streamlined, plain dark-blue D-Wheel, racing towards the gathering, recognizing him as-

"It's Spirit!" he cried.

Clark Smith looked from behind the tent, seeing that SPIRIT was indeed on his way...he then proceeded to lightly slap himself on the face for referring to SPIRIT with that pronoun, groaning as he remembered an argument from just before the gathering. Granted, he'd still prefer arguing with someone who was actually intelligent than the lazy Tops snobs, but the topic of the argument still annoyed him.

But while the Dimension Express CEO was rather nonchalant about the criminal's arrival, the same could not be said of his fellow Tops.

"Run! Run!"

"Oh no, it's a Commons resident!" Kristina, the woman who Clark had had the displeasure of speaking with, screamed in terror.

"Someone call Security!"

As the guests scattered and ran, Spirit drove into the park, tearing out grass and dirt as he did so. He aimed his D-Wheel straight for a tent where Don Pierro, a rather obese banker, had been sampling some fine cheeses. The portly man with the thin mustache and yellow suit yelped in terror, getting out of the way just in time as Spirit ran through the tent, destroying it and scattering debris everywhere.

He repeated this twice more, destroying a stand where a small band of musicians had been playing, along with a tent that housed several rich and decadent fondues, and in his journey to get to these places, seemed to scatter more debris and shrapnel everywhere.

The guests were terrified by the intruder's rampage. Clark Smith however, simply stared at his watch, as if he was timing SPIRIT's performance.

The destructive rider drove to the end of the park, causing more guests to run for the other end. This unfortunately, was just what Spirit had been waiting for. He performed a U-Turn, and accelerated towards the guests who had all essentially herded themselves into one place, making them ripe for what he was to do.

On his D-Wheel, a blue-blade of curved energy that ended in sharp ends like a scythe activated, and immediately, the duelist slammed a card onto the disk.

" _Diabolik Fighter,_ direct attack!"

A humanoid robot appeared alongside Spirit. It had long gauntlet-like fists, and was coated in dark-blue armor that, while fairly smooth, became blockier and rougher at the hips, and the legs ended in a similar fashion as the arms. The head too, was covered in armor that ended with long vertical extrusions that would remind an observer of horns.

Of course, the Tops who were observing the monster…

Soon found themselves right next to it as it flew in-between them, and spun around as if it were performing a flying break-dance. A flying break-dance that allowed it to use its hard, metal, hard-light body to attack the Tops, striking them with powerful blows.

Some were killed instantly by the force of the sudden attack, while others stayed alive just long enough to bleed out to death.

And Spirit was not far behind. He drove ahead of his monster that was beating the life out of the partygoers, and accelerated right into the center of the crowd, running over anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way. Those who did get out of his way were just as unfortunate. They immediately found themselves in the path of Diabolik Fighter following its summoner, and were subjected to the killer android's fighting techniques.

Fortunately for the Tops, Spirit suddenly seemed to lose interest, driving out of the park in a frenzy, Diabolik Fighter disappearing in a cloud of sparks.

"G-get the Duel Chasers!" Daniel cried, huddling together with Paul and Kristina.

"Now! Now! Now!" Don Pierro sobbed madly, having been so frozen with fear he had hidden in the wreckage of the cheese tent.

"I have already done so everyone." Clark Smith replied, stepping from his hiding place calmly. "Security has been called and...oh dear…"

Of course, Clark Smith was not horrified by the gruesome sight of the mangled bodies of the rich. Mainly because he had checked in advance to see if any of his business partners or their associates, or the associates of those associates, and so on and so forth, were there. And since they weren't, then he saw no reason to really be horrified or shocked by the scene before him.

"Oh lord…" he cried with crocodile tears. "How terrible...Security must defeat this monster at once! I'll call the hospital!"

"Th-thank you…" Kristina wept, averting her eyes from one unfortunate soul whose leg had been crushed by Spirit's D-Wheel before Diabolik Fighter had cracked his skull wide open, giving everyone a sight of his brains.

Of course, Clark Smith was surprised that the man had even had any brains to begin with.

* * *

In the very center of Neo Domino City, there existed two buildings, each holding the core of the order and security of the metropolis. The first was the Executive Building, which was home to the gathering of the Executive Council, the five figures who concerned themselves with the administrative side of things. The second was the headquarters of Sector Security, the police force of the city. The building itself was a set of massive interlocked towers, almost fortress-like in its configuration. It was from here that Security was directed to deal with any pressing threats.

In the control room, a rather large sprawling room wherein the center stood a large rectangular table-like podium, from which a set of holographic maps were projected that represented the structure of the City. At each end were four chairs, where an operator would sit, and at the end of the room was an enclosed space attached to the ceiling. It was within this room that the Chief of Security would direct operations if need be, and be informed of the situation.

"Chief, the culprit from District T-325 is on Highway 8. Security has been requested to apprehend him." a woman with maroon hair informed.

The Chief looked up. He wore purple robes that stood between royal and plain, with golden highlights. His dirty blond pale hair was arranged in a set of simple curls that exposed his forehead, and his dark green eyes were dark and cool, which served to accentuate his large curved nose.

"Ah, and the culprit is?" he asked calmly, gazing down at a chessboard that he had placed near his desk.

"It's the duelist known as Spirit!" the operator confirmed.

"Ah, yes, well, let us show this rogue the power of Security. No-one is to defy us." he replied calmly. "Have any Duel Chasers been mobilized?"

"Duel Chaser 227 has been sent after the fugitive."

"Very well. Let us keep an eye on this then."

The position of the Chief's office served multiple strategic purposes. Not only did it give him the ability to manually monitor his subordinates and the situation, but it also served as an additional line of defense if he were to be attacked, rare as the possibility presented itself. The original architect had questioned this when the new Chief had arrived to make changes to the organization, but he had agreed to do so in the end.

Of course, there was a third strategic advantage of the office's position. No-one was allowed to enter without permission or unless something particularly dire was happening, and the Chief certainly did not consider a single rogue duelist to be worth panicking over. This of course meant that his subordinates could not bother him, and that his privacy was completely assured.

It also meant that he could engage in remote conversation (albeit in textual form), without anyone being none the wiser.

_I have sent a Duel Chaser after your SPIRIT. I hope this gives me the results I have been promised._

_You have my assurance that he is superbly qualified._

_I will hold you to it. I trust you are already watching?_

_Yes-sir, Jean-Michel Roget sir. I am :)_

_Very well._

Roget rolled his eyes. That being said, he could put up with this individual's eccentricities quite easily, so long as the individual continued to give him results. So far, the initial tests had done well, but this was essentially the proving/turning point.

"Do not let me down, any of you…" he murmured as he began to set-up the board, mentally going over puzzles and formations that would best fit the duel he was about to watch.

* * *

SPIRIT drove down the roads with speed that was frightening to the observer, and control that would've mesmerized anyone who happened to sit near him. Granted, there was no-one willing or able to do that, aside from one who was able to remotely monitor him.

" _A duel is beginning, a Duel is beginning. All vehicles please leave the designated routes immediately. A duel is beginning, a Duel is beginning."_

The sound of sirens was soon registered to SPIRIT, who turned around to see a plain-looking Security officer on one of the many mass-produced white-and-blue D-Wheels with installed green-lights barreling towards him. The officer was quiet, with a stoic frown on his face, eyes hidden from regular sight by his sunglasses.

SPIRIT however, quickly refocused on the road. The face of the officer was inconsequential, just so long as the mission regarding him was completed.

A light and a loud noise was also soon registered to SPIRIT, who immediately turned to see a helicopter taking to the sky, flying above the road so as to get a good vantage point.

"Good evening City residents! This is your top reporter Melissa Claire, coming to you live to give you an exciting Riding Duel tonight!"

" _Is that cowgirl-airhead really being dumb enough to ignore the trail of bodies you just left behind?"_ a female voice from SPIRIT's built-in communicator griped. _"Blech. Wonder how many guys she had to ride to get where she is…"_

"My, my…" Roget sighed from his office. "The Tops must truly be starved for entertainment. What is the current route?"

"The fugitive and Duel Chaser 227 are on Route STC-11." the operator responded.

"Excellent, then there's no need to detour them. Let the Tops have their fun." Roget said calmly.

Back at the roads, Duel Chaser 227 was already preparing to take Spirit in. "Speed World Neo, set on!"

A wave of energy came over the duelists, initiating a duel.

" _All right SPIRIT, make momma proud!"_

"Get ready Yuzu…" Yugo said from the safety of Tama's garage. "You're about to see it."

"See what?" Yuzu asked, while Tama stared grimly at the television.

The two duelists sped down the track. One, a dangerous unknown rogue, the other, an officer who symbolized order and safety for one demographic, but oppression and danger for another.

The parties watching the duel all had their own views on the situation.

A blue-haired duelist and his associates watched grimly from an underground stadium, paying close attention to the unknown factor.

Jean-Michel Roget looked on with interest, running plans and back-up plans in his head.

Yugo and Tama stared at the screen with apprehension, Yugo wanting to see what the duelist was capable of, while Tama preferred just to warn his friend about it.

Up in the Tops, several individuals of a certain group in a certain place had learned of the atrocity, and were paying close attention to the danger that was presented.

A certain person, with wild salmon-colored hair who wore glasses with a spiral pattern, as well as a lab coat with long black gloves over a striped-green shirt, watched with anticipation, eager to see the fruits of her research and effort pay off. She snickered with glee, barely able to contain her mad excitement for what was to come.

Yuzu just stared, lost in the wave of new information, only having a bad feeling for what was to occur.

Finally, on the road, the two duelists declared those immortal words…

_**Riding Duel, Acceleration!** _

* * *

**Well, how's THAT for an opener, eh?**

**Get used to the length people. Read _Garage Kids_ (Which is in the middle of an edit...still working on it before I get the next File up), and you'll understand that 10k chapters tend to be a minimum with me, even WITH things being split up. What can I say, I like my details.**

**Ironic, considering how I started out...**

***Flashbacks to the time when he thought making a super OP Yandere-Vampire was a good idea***

**...Ah, those were the days. Dark, terrible, AWFUL days when I had no idea of tonal consistency...**

**So yeah, leave a review to share your thoughts, and I'll see you next time!**

**-Epsilon Tarantula-**


	2. The Diabolic Plot

**Well...isn't this a surprise? The next chapter is ACTUALLY out! WOOOOOOO!**

**And with this chapter, we should be done with straight episode adaptations! YAHOO! Because this people, THIS, this is the point where we start flying off the rails! Thankfully not into the sun, because that's where canon ended up thanks to the head writer deliberately putting things on a collision course with disaster.**

**Credit goes to Donjusticia, Vile . exe (How your username kept vanishing is beyond me, so apologies for the spaces), various google searches, and the peeps at the ANAI server, for helping to bring this chapter to fruition! Sit back and enjoy people! Trust me, you won't want to miss what is coming!**

**Unless you have a thing against OC-villains, researches into the various scrapped materials of YGO, and researches into the more obscure characters/wasted plot points of all of YGO, in which case I advise you to vacate the premises.**

**The disclaimer is on the first page (Probably), so let's begin!**

* * *

_Dimension Dowsing - Present Swing_

_Episode 55: The Diabolic Plot_

**DUEL!**

**SPIRIT LP: 4000**

**DC-227 LP: 4000**

"The first to pass the 500 meter mark will take the first turn." Spirit droned.

"Very well." the Duel Chaser said. "But just so you know, I have a 100% arrest rate. You won't escape me!"

Immediately, the two duelists accelerated on their D-Wheels, racing for the designated checkpoint.

"It's a race to see who gets the first turn! Will it be the fugitive, or will it be the Duel Chaser!" Melissa shouted to the cameras.

From his office, Jean-Michel Roget chuckled in amusement. "If the Duel Chaser takes first place, then that would mean investing resources in this project was an abject waste of time."

Right on cue, his computer screen showed a message: " _Ignore the cowgirl bimbo please, SPIRIT's D-Wheel is far superior to the mass-produced Security model."_

DC-227 raced ahead, seeming to pass SPIRIT...only for the helmeted rider to suddenly accelerate, leaving DC-227 several meters behind as he reached the start point.

"The first turn is mine." SPIRIT droned, causing the Duel Chaser to grimace.

"The fugitive took the first turn right from the Duel Chaser!" Melissa exclaimed. "What a shocking development!"

From the scene of SPIRIT's rampage, Clark Smith had taken out his duel disk, and had hooked it up to a hologram projector so as to give the party-goers/survivors a chance to view the duel (And advertise a new deluxe hologram-projection system as well). Of course, their reactions, and the reactions of many Tops who were watching the duel from home or at whatever hotel they spent the night in, were quite different from that of the news reporter. Clark Smith for his part remained completely stoic.

"That Duel Chaser had better beat him down!" Paul hiccuped, while Daniel remained glued to the screen, silent, but glaring intensely.

"How dare he take the first turn!" Kristina screeched. "I can't let my son watch this! I must call that babysitter at once!"

A family of three, from the safety of their home, were watching the duel, with Melissa's bubbly commentary interspersed by a more stoic and professional news report concerning SPIRIT's recent attack. They weren't the only ones. Many Tops were receiving a similar report, and all of them were clamoring for SPIRIT to be defeated for his crime of performing the unspeakable: Attacking the Tops. While seeing the Commons flounder against Security was something of a pastime, in this case, they felt a great deal of anger and justification, and a reminder of how dangerous the Commons were and why they had to constantly be pushed back.

In contrast however, many of the Commons, upon hearing the news, were cheering for SPIRIT. Whether it be from the streets, or in an underground arena, the majority of their reactions were quite different concerning the man who had got and given the Tops the most glorious middle finger in quite a long time.

"Beat the Tops dog!"

"Win!"

"Crush him!"

"SPIRIT! SPIRIT! SPIRIT!" a dark-skinned man with a purple mohawk and a rather pudgy fellow cheered in unison from the underground arena they were occupying, crammed in with many other residents from the Commons.

"Damon, Tony, stop that." a man with a dark-blue riding outfit and dual-shaded blue hair reprimanded sullenly.

"Eh?" Damon asked in shock. "Shinji, this guy just went and did something to the Tops that we've been dreaming of doing for years! And he did it like it was nothing! I'd have thought you of all people would be cheering him on!"

"Yeah!" Tony put in.

Shinji shook his head. "In case you two forgot, this bastard did the same thing to several Commons, like he was trying to emulate the Duelist Crusher all those years ago." He scowled upon reminding himself of the rumors surrounding that terrifying duelist. "If he wants to earn my support, he better do a damn good job of beating that Security stooge."

Both Damon and Tony rubbed the back of their heads sheepishly, and turned their attention back to the screen, watching the duel unforld.

"I activate _Akashic Record._ " SPIRIT said. "This card lets me draw 2 cards, but if any copies of these cards are already on the field or in my GY, the drawn cards will be banished face-down."

He drew his cards, and revealed them to his opponent: _Diabolik Flyer_ and _Urgent Tuning_.

"As there are no additional copies of these cards, they are added to my hand." SPIRIT droned. "I set a monster in face-down Defense Position and three other cards to end my turn."

Four card backings, three vertical, and one horizontal that soon had a purple orb/imp creature surrounded by a small ring of thorns hovering above it, manifested onto Spirit's field, before the vertical cards vanished.

"T-the fugitive has only set cards?!" Melissa commented.

"He's planning something." Yugo grimaced as he studied SPIRIT's board.

"Getting flashbacks of the time I nuked Clear Wing, are we?" Tama teased.

"That was cheap!" Yugo shouted. "I lose Clear Wing, and then you get back Scrap Dragon?!"

"Yes." Tama said. "Because that's how that combo works."

Yuzu for her part ignored the bickering and remained fixated on the old television set. She had never seen a duel like this before. She knew of duelists using their monsters to move about the Action Field and obtain Action Cards, but constantly riding on a road on a motorcycle? Somehow that seemed more than a bit hazardous...and yet here it was, two duelists, one an unknown criminal and the other a police officer of all things, engaging in this new way of dueling.

"So, we're rooting for the police officer, right?" Yuzu asked.

Tama and Yugo looked at the girl as if she had sprouted a second head.

"Did...did you listen to anything we told you?!" Tama spluttered in disbelief. "If you and/or Yugo were up there, that Duel Chaser would be dueling you the same way he's dueling 'mysterious-murderer' over there!"

"He'd lock us up the instant he caught us, and even if we won, there'd still be Security Officers to arrest us later down the road." Yugo confirmed grimly. "That guy might've done some really messed-up stuff, but the Tops don't care how severe the crime is. They'd throw us in jail just for loitering."

Yuzu was aghast. "No way…"

"If that's all that you can say, then congratulations Yuzu, welcome to the Synchro Dimension, where you can get thrown in prison or just get murdered. Take your pick!" Tama said sarcastically.

"Honestly, I don't see a reason to root for either of 'em." Yugo grumbled.

"Oh wow, thanks for stating the obvious, Captain!" Tama spat.

Yuzu once again tuned out the arguing boys to focus on the duel, having a sinking feeling in her gut at how bad it was bound to get.

Meanwhile, DC-227 was drawing his card, preparing for his attack. "Since you control a monster while I have none, I Special Summon _Jutte Dancer_!"

A woman with black done-up hair, whose face was covered in white make-up, wearing a blue kimono, as her name suggested, danced on the field. At first she seemed perfectly harmless, but then she drew a jutte from within her sleeves, brandishing it at her opponent while continuing to dance as if nothing had happened at all.

**Jutte Dancer/EARTH/Level 3/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 700**

"When I Special Summon _Jutte Dancer,_ " DC-227 explained, "I can add 1 'Goyo' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand! Next, I summon _Jutte Fighter!_ "

A small man with a comically large head and glasses jumped onto the field, holding a similar weapon as his female companion. He kept his eyes shut, but his focus towards the opposing field seemed to indicate otherwise.

**Jutte Fighter/EARTH/Level 2/Warrior/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 700/DEF: 900**

"Now, I tune the Level 3 _Jutte Dancer_ with the Level 2 _Jutte Fighter_!"

 _Jutte Fighter_ transformed into two green rings, which _Jutter Dancer_ flew in-between, before fading away to reveal three stars. The stars aligned, and a blast of energy emerged from the distinctive sequence denoting a Synchro Summon.

" _Pursue him to the ends of Hell! Appear, Sacred Soul! Synchro Summon! Come out, Level 5,_ _ **Goyo Chaser**_ _!"_

A man wearing a white mask akin to kabuki theater, albeit revealing his dark unpainted skin underneath, appeared, brandishing a jutte of his own, from which a long rope with a weight at the end extended. The man also wore large brown-and-orange armor, curving outwards and giving the appearance he might've had if he had worn large billowing robes.

**Goyo Chaser/EARTH/Level 5/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1000**

"At this moment, _Goyo Dancer's_ effect activates! When she's used to Synchro Summon an EARTH monster, she gives that monster ATK equal to its Level x100!"

Goyo Chaser performed a series of extravagant maneuvers with his jutte, signifying the gain in strength.

**Goyo Chaser/ATK: 2400**

"I also equip my monster with _Goyo Crest_!" DC-227 announced. "This card makes it so that not only does my monster deal you piercing damage when it attacks a Defense Position monster, but that you can't activate Spell/Traps until the end of the Damage Step!"

A badge in the shape of a hexagon was proudly adorned on Goyo Chaser, who once again swung his jutte to show his increasing abilities.

"And now that I've blocked off your back row, I attack your face-down monster!" DC-227 said.

Goyo Chaser yelled, and spun his weapon around its rope, before hurling it at the set monster, which flipped up to reveal a small jar, albeit one covered in black metal, and where there would've been an opening into the jar, there was a single eye instead, glowing with demonic light.

" _Diabolik Jar's_ FLIP Effect activates." SPIRIT droned.

**Diabolik Jar/DARK/Level 3/Machine/Flip/Effect/ATK: 600/DEF: 1200**

"When _Diabolik Jar_ is flipped face-up, it destroys all Special Summoned monsters on the field, and then we both draw 1 card for each." The helmeted rider explained matter-of-factly.

Diabolik Jar's single eye widened, the pupil contracting into a slit, before firing a beam of red energy at Goyo Chaser, knocking back the kabuki warrior's weapon in the process as well. Just before the beam could make contact however, a barrier of blue energy manifested around Goyo Chaser, dissipating the blast. A quick look confirmed that the barrier had come from Goyo Chaser's badge, which dissolved into particles as the barrier came down.

" _Goyo Crest_ can destroy itself in place of the monster it is equipped to." DC-227 said, outwardly remaining calm, but feeling a sense of panic and fear that he was barely repressing, not having expected such a powerful effect. However… "Since _Goyo Chaser_ wasn't destroyed and that effect doesn't say anything about negating attacks, I can keep on going! Go! _Goyo Chaser_ , finish off that weakling monster!"

* * *

Some distance away, in a darkened laboratory filled with mechanical parts, circuit boards, wires, robotic endoskeletons, tubes containing data that could be used to synthesize new cards, a fridge, and a portable stove, Kurei Sozotai couldn't help but laugh at the Duel Chaser's idiotic words, spitting out the Red Demon's Noodle ramen she was eating back into its cup, her spiral glasses very nearly coming off her face as she did so, revealing her blood-red eyes.

"Oh, oh yes, the monster that nearly nuked your field was SO weak!" she guffawed as she slid her spectacles back into place. "And as you'll soon find out, your monster's little signature effect isn't going to do jack-shit once Jar's SECOND effect goes off! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

Goyo Chaser's jutte made contact this time, smashing right through Diabolik Jar and destroying it in a shower of sparks.

"At this moment, _Goyo Chaser's_ effect activates!" DC-227 celebrated. "I Special Summon your monster to my side of the field with its ATK halved!"

"Likewise, _Diabolik Jar's_ second effect activates to chain to that effect, and as Chain Link 3, _Diabolik Flyer's_ effect activates." SPIRIT replied in a conversational tone of voice.

"What?!" DC-227 gasped.

"First, since a 'Diabolik' monster was destroyed," SPIRIT explained, " _Diabolik Flyer_ can Special Summon itself from my hand, and whenever it is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Diabolik' monster, I am allowed to draw one card. Come forth!"

A short, somewhat stubby robot sharing the same black paint-scheme as Diabolik Jar, as the name indicated, flew onto the field, with two airplane-like wings extending from its back. The torso itself was rather wide, holding a large turbine fan within it, and two legs ending in stubby jets extended from it. The robot's arms likewise, were similar to the legs, but had finger-like attachments as well.

**Diabolik Flyer/DARK/Level 3/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1000**

SPIRIT drew his card, then continued. "Second, when _Diabolik Jar_ is sent from the field to the GY, it Special Summons a 'Diabolik' Tuner from my Deck. Via this effect, I Special Summon the Tuner monster, _Diabolik Responder_!"

A thinner black robot appeared onto the field. Compared to the smooth armor of its companion, Diabolik Responder had jagged-looking armor, and numerous red orbs on its body, with a very large one on the robot's head. A closer look revealed that the orbs had lenses within them, very much like eyes, all of which were staring at Goyo Chaser, analyzing the threat that the warrior posed.

**Diabolik Responder/DARK/Level 2/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 400**

"Finally, your monster's effect resolves." SPIRIT confirmed, as Diabolik Jar appeared onto the Duel Chaser's field, ATK halved by Goyo Chaser's effect.

**Diabolik Jar/ATK: 300**

DC-227 studied the field, immediately realizing what he had just enabled his opponent to do, considering his set cards.

"Oh no!" he cried.

"Trap card activate, _Urgent Tuning_!" SPIRIT declared. "This allows me to Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase!"

Diabolik Responder morphed into two green rings, while Diabolik Flyer faded into three white stars that flew into the center.

" _On the orders of the Devil, strike down the enemy! Attack and destroy! Synchro Summon! Level 5, **Diabolik Secure Enforcer!** "_

The monster that emerged was another humanoid robot. However, its limbs were thinner, and at each end of those forelimbs was a mesh of heavy black armor with gold-and-red spikes and edges. The chestplate too, shared this theme, and a helmet almost reminiscent of a cross of a samurai's helmet and the horns of a demon covered a singular red eye. The gauntlet for the right arm of the robot however, differed from the left, being covered in significantly more spikes and having a slightly different design, as it went up the robot's arm a bit further. The reason soon became clear when the monster got into a fighting posture, revealing a red blade of energy emerging from the arm, which it brandished at its opponent.

**Diabolik Secure Enforcer/DARK/Level 5/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000**

"No way, the fugitive performed a Synchro Summon on the Duel Chaser's turn! This is completely unexpected!" Melissa Clair announced.

This announcement was not well received by the Tops who were watching the duel at all, who glared in silence at their television screens.

"The instant _Diabolik Secure Enforcer_ is Synchro Summoned, one monster on the field is destroyed." SPIRT revealed. "The chosen monster is the _Diabolik Jar_ that was Special Summoned to your field."

DC-227 rose an eyebrow in confusion. "You're not aiming for my Synchro Monster?"

* * *

From his office, Roget was already placing his chess pieces in a suitable position. The white knight was present to perform a fork on the black rook and a black bishop. The opposing move, obviously, was to move the rook away so as to avoid losing a piece of higher value...but a closer look revealed what would happen if the bishop had simply moved to a space still protecting that square, for from that space, a fork could be performed on the Queen and the King.

"Interesting…" the chief of Security muttered to himself, before the intercom turned on again.

"Chief," the woman with red-hair who had notified him about the chase earlier explained, "Officer Kazama is already putting a block in place at the far end of the route. Your orders?"

"Keep him where he is." Roget said dismissively, hiding his irritation at having his chess problem-solving interrupted.

* * *

Back at the duel, Diabolik Secure Enforcer's right arm shifted into the form of a cannon, firing a laser that made short work of Diabolik Jar. But then, the laser continued to fire instead of stopping, albeit shrinking in diameter, and right at the left shoulder, pierced through DC-227's flesh.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" The officer cried in pain, the laser dissipating just as he began swerving. "My arm!"

"Wh-what is going on here?!" Melissa Claire cried as she saw the duel chaser going out of control.

Already blood was staining DC-227's uniform, pouring out of the wound, already six centimeters in diameter. Desperately trying to fight through it, the officer managed to right himself, but the wound stung badly with the high-speed winds of the duel. It took everything he had to keep a grip on his D-Wheel's handles and not go into shock.

**DC-227 LP: 3500**

"Wh-what did you do?!" he yelled at SPIRIT.

SPIRIT looked back, but DC-227 could not see his facial expressions. It was unsettling to look at the fugitive's helmet, which only opened up into what seemed to be an inky, blank void, devoid of malice, joy, anger, or any of the emotions the officer had become accustomed to whenever he had gone and arrested Commons.

"It is simply _Diabolik Secure Enforcer's_ effect." SPIRIT explained matter-of-factly as if giving a lecture. "If it destroys a Special Summoned monster with this effect, 500 points of damage are inflicted to the opponent. Furthermore, the effect of _Diabolik Flyer_ has already chained to the effect of _Diabolik Secure Enforcer_ and resolves last. I add 1 'Diabolik' monster from my GY to my hand, and that monster will be _Diabolik Responder_."

As SPIRIT took the card out of his graveyard slot, DC-227 noticed something with Diabolik Secure Enforcer.

**Diabolik Secure Enforcer/ATK: 2400**

Its ATK was now equal to Goyo Chaser.

"Wh-why did your monster's ATK go up?" DC-227 asked, grimacing as the pain in his arm persisted.

" _Diabolik Secure Enforcer's_ ATK increased by 200 for each 'Diabolik' monster in the GY." SPIRIT revealed. "As _Diabolik Jar_ is back in the GY, with _Diabolik Responder_ returned to my hand, the total net gain of monsters is two, resulting in 400 ATK."

* * *

"I don't get why he didn't just destroy the Synchro monster though…" Tony grumbled. "He'd still have a monster with 2200 ATK vs. a weak one with 300 ATK."

"Same here." Damon muttered. "What do you think, Shinji?"

But the blue-haired duelist wasn't paying attention to the duel, at least not fully. He was paying more attention to the erratic behavior of the Duel Chaser, who seemed to be struggling with his D-Wheel. As he had so helpfully yelled, something had happened to his arm when SPIRIT used his monster's effect...and Shinji could not help but feel transfixed at the man's apparent injury.

* * *

"E-even with your monster's ATK increase, it's only just tied with _Goyo Chaser_!" DC-227 gurgled. "You screwed up by not destroying my monster!"

"Wrong." SPIRIT replied calmly. "Trap card activate, _Diabolik Blast_. It destroys a 'Diabolik' monster I control then inflicts onto you damage equal to that monster's ATK. As such, by destroying _Diabolik Secure Enforcer_ , you will take 2400 points of damage."

"2-2400?" DC-227 whimpered in fear.

A black sphere covered in bronze spikes, with a glass opening revealing an orb of black energy appeared in front of Diabolik Secure Enforcer. Two cables emerged from the sides of the sphere and wrapped around the robot's torso, until the bomb was secured. DC-227 watched in fear as Diabolik Secure Enforcer flew into the air, jets opening from the feet. Melissa yelped in panic, her helicopter flying away as it tried to avoid the robot, who rose several meters higher into the air…

Until it dropped down, aiming straight for the Duel Chaser.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" The man cried in panic, accelerating as fast as his D-Wheel would carry him…

Only for blood to spray from his injury, weakening his grip on the handles. Instinctively, the officer let up on the accelerator, enabling the robot-turned missile to get closer and closer...

"He's gonna die now!" Kurei laughed maniacally from the safety of her lab, rubbing her hands in glee.

But then, Goyo Chaser turned, and tackled Diabolik Secure Enforcer before it could get too close to his master. The robot flew off-course, far away from the security officer and his monster, tumbling onto the highway...and upon impact with the ground, exploded in a massive burst of energy.

The television screens showcasing the duel showed nothing but dust and ash, leaving the spectators from all over the City, Tops and Commons alike, wondering what had just happened. Of course, there were two people who jumped immediately seeing the immense burst, and knew exactly what had happened.

"It's just like…" Yuzu gasped, hands clasped to her mouth as she felt herself reliving the nightmare of Shun's duel with Sora.

"Those Academia bastards…" Yugo growled, remembering the flames and enormous mechanical creatures that had wreaked havoc on Heartland.

Tama opened his mouth as if to say something, but respectfully chose to remain silent.

"I-is the Duel Chaser alright?" Melissa asked, unable to tell what the answer was.

On the ground, SPIRIT was accelerating perfectly fine, and looked back…

To see DC-227 panting, covered in ash and asphalt, but alive and well. The worst his D-Wheel had taken was a similar coating of debris, so overall, he wasn't hurt too bad.

**DC-227 LP: 1100**

Melissa Claire cheered. "He's safe!"

"He's alive!" Daniel clapped.

"Thank goodness!" Kristina sighed. "What a relief, isn't it Mister Smith?"

…

"Mister Smith?"

But Clark Smith was nowhere to be seen.

"You avoided the blast." SPIRIT said quietly, looking at the ash cloud that had been left behind.

"Damn you...you're just a Commons bastard! You shouldn't be able to try to blow me up! Security is the dominant power in Neo Domino City!" DC-227 raved angrily.

As if by chance, Melissa Claire looked over the scene of the bombing, and gasped at what she saw. Everyone watching the duel did as well.

An enormous hole had been blown into the lane, and the warning panels that bordered it had all been smashed.

"W-what kind of damage is that?!" the reporter cried, having never seen such destruction before in her life.

"Hmmm…" Roget grimaced, typing a message into his computer.

" _Try to have your machine hold back a little bit. There is a reason why I told you to keep the Real Solid Vision Limiters in place."_

" _Fine...I'll install them when my baby comes back."_

"Still, destruction aside...I'll admit, his plays are still impressive…" Roget murmured, holding the black bishop and queen in his hand, indicating that they had been taken.

"Well?!" DC-227 roared, desperate for adrenaline to help him ignore the pain in his arm.

"When _Diabolik Secure Enforcer_ is destroyed," SPIRIT explained, brushing off the Duel Chaser's anger, "I am allowed to draw 1 card. In addition, the effects of _Diabolik Shielder_ and _Diabolik Responder_ activate from the hand. When a 'Diabolik' monster is destroyed, they can be Special Summoned to the field."

A large, black, bulky humanoid robot with two large shields for arms jumped onto the field, crossing the shields with impunity to protect its user, with Diabolik Responder flying next to its ally.

**Diabolik Shielder/DARK/Level 4/Machine/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 2000**

**Diabolik Responder/DARK/Level 2/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 400**

"You can't be serious!" DC-227 spluttered. "More monsters?!"

"Likewise, I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Diabolik Recoil_ , which inflicts 500 damage to you when a 'Diabolik' monster is destroyed and enables an additional draw!"

An invisible disk of air slammed into DC-227, almost knocking the wind out of him, and this time his monster could not react fast enough to protect him. It took every last ounce of strength for the officer to hold onto his D-Wheel and not crash, a monumental feat considering his current injury. It now hurt to breathe, and he felt like vomiting.

**DC-227 LP: 600**

" _Diabolik Responder's_ effect activates. If it was Special Summoned during the Battle Phase, I may perform a Synchro Summon with other 'Diabolik' monsters!" SPIRIT announced. "However, this effect can only be used once per turn, and the card will be banished afterwards."

"No way! After reducing almost all of the Duel Chaser's LP on his own turn, the fugitive is going to perform another Synchro Summon!" Melissa Claire announced, much to the anger of the Tops and the joy of the Commons.

The two robots quickly got into the formation for a Synchro Summon, which SPIRIT was quick to announce.

" _Guarding the Devil as a powerful machine, annihilate all who try to pass! Synchro Summon! Level 6, **Diabolik Secure Gardna!** "_

SPIRIT's new monster appeared as an odd mix of a crab and a squid, having numerous metal tentacles, several of which were tipped with laser cannons, emerging from a disk-like body that had a protrusion in the center to act as a head/eye, which gazed at the field coldly, analyzing its opposition and preparing to destroy it.

**Diabolik Secure Gardna/DARK/Level 6/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000**

" _Diabolik Secure Gardna's_ ATK increases by 300 for each 'Diabolik' monster in the GY!" SPIRIT explained. " _Diabolik Responder_ is banished and thus cannot contribute, but the net total of monsters placed into the GY totals at four, resulting in 1200 additional ATK!"

**Diabolik Secure Gardna/ATK: 3600**

"3-3600 ATK…" DC-227 coughed. "I-I...set two cards face-down and end my turn…"

The two card-backings appeared, and thus SPIRIT took his next turn. He seemed to eye the card that he had drawn for a few seconds, before slamming it onto his duel disk.

"I summon _Diabolik Fighter_!"

Fear and revulsion ran through the traumatized partygoers as the monster that had appeared to assist SPIRIT in assaulting them appeared onto the field, performing a series of elaborate moves not unlike a graceful dancer. But these moves were precise and deadly, and had just been used to kill several Tops residents.

"Oh god, no! Not that thing!" Kristina screamed, not wanting to relieve the nightmare just as she had hoped it had ended.

Daniel's eyes stayed glued to the screen, like a deer caught in the headlights.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Don Pierro cried, trying to run from the scene, only for the Security officers who had been called in to help the medical staff to hold him back.

**Diabolik Fighter/DARK/Level 4/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000**

"Th-this just in folks!" Melissa announced, now feigning excitement as she was finally given the summation of the gory situation by her teleprompter. "This is the monster that was recently used to attack several Tops!"

And in that moment, footage of the horrific massacre was played on every active television screen and live streaming internet service.

"Cut the feed." Roget ordered calmly.

"Sir?" the female observer questioned.

"Cut the footage of the incident. We don't want to upset any children now, do we?"

So the footage cut back to the duel, but those five second had been enough to give everyone more than a few breadcrumbs of what had happened.

"No way...I thought this guy had just punched someone…" Tony marveled.

"Or littering." Damon scoffed.

Shinji looked at SPIRIT for a hard thirty seconds, and patted his two comrades on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here. I don't need to watch this anymore."

"Wait, we're just going to leave?!" Damon asked. "I wanna see this play out!"

"I don't need to see anymore of this." Shinji answered. "I know what I'm going to want from that guy if we ever meet him."

"And that's...what exactly?" Tony asked as he struggled to get up from the bleacher.

"...An alliance." Shinji whisphered, and his friends fell silent amongst the cheers of their fellow Commons.

"Oh god…" Yuzu whisphered, tears of fear in her eyes. She had seen enough of the footage to know exactly what SPIRIT had done.

"Damn…" Tama whistled. "That dude's pretty ballsy."

"That's all you can say about this?!" Yuzu yelled in shock, whipping around to look at the mechanic, who was not perturbed by her burst of anger at all.

"What? Do you want me to go on a rant about how 'killing is bad' and all that gunk? I told you, he's a psycho. He's just proving it."

"That's not what I meant!" Yuzu snapped. "How can this kind of thing be normal in your dimension?! That man tried to kill innocent people, and all you can say about it is that it was 'ballsy'?!"

Tama stared at Yuzu, before glancing over at Yugo. "What's this chick's dimension like again?" he asked his friend.

"It was a really weird place…" Yugo grimaced, looking thoughtful. "One moment it looked like one of the lower Tops districts, but when I went back there, the ice age had hit it…"

"That was our Miami Championship Action Field!" Yuzu hissed. "How can you watch something like that and be so...so…"

"Life here sucks woman." Tama replied curtly, clearly not in the mood for Yuzu's moral outrage. "I don't know how good or bad you have it in...what is it, Standard or whatever? But in this dimension, you either win or lose, and the consequences for losing all equal something really, really shitty. You've got arrogant Tops who walk all over us, and Commons assholes who are all just out for themselves, and I'll bet my whole garage that none of them give one iota of a crap about someone dying. People starve and rot in the slums all the time. You think I'd be surprised by what that guy just pulled on the Tops? Hell no. Chances are that there's plenty of Commons who've been dreaming of doing that to the Tops for a long time."

Before she could stop herself, Yuzu couldn't help but let out the question in frustration. "And what about you two then?!"

Yugo shifted and looked uncomfortable, while Tama remained unfazed.

"You wanna get an answer, try living here a few days. Then you'll understand." the mechanic replied before Yugo could speak up. "After we're done watching the Duel Chaser get blown to smithereens, I want you both out of my shop 'till you need repairs."

Yuzu stared at the mechanic, who, despite remaining calm outwardly, gave as good as he took with his own glare. She turned to Yugo, whose face was a tumultuous expression of emotions, being stoic one moment, angry another, and then confused. As an uncomfortable silence fell, with only the television blaring the reporter's commentary, Yuzu could not help but feel a new wave of helplessness wash over her. It wasn't enough to be in an unfamiliar dimension, no, it also had to be a world so focused on competition, no-one batted an eyelid at the lengths people were willing to go to for success. As if Academia wasn't enough with their brutal campaign of dominance, now there was a world equally devoid of empathy that was in the picture...and Yuzu was stuck in it.

She was jolted out of her thoughts however, when a bright light shone from the television screen, followed by a shriek of fear and panic.

Back at the duel, DC-227 watched as Diabolik Fighter's ATK began to rise.

**Diabolik Fighter/ATK: 2600**

"Wait, WHY DID IT GET STRONGER?!" he cried in a panic.

SPIRIT looked back as if startled by the increased volume, then turned back towards the road. "It is simply _Diabolik Fighter's_ effect. It gains 200 ATK for each 'Diabolik' monster in the GY. As I currently have four monsters, that means 800 ATK. But that will be an irrelevant value very soon. I activate the Quick-Play Spell _Diabolik Shock_! This card destroys one 'Diabolik' monster I control and one other card on the field, granting me another draw! I will destroy _Diabolik Fighter_ and your right face-down card!"

"The...the right?" DC-227 whimpered, looking at his screen, which indicated which card SPIRIT was going to destroy. "B-but that's my…"

"Also, the effect of _Diabolik Secure Gardna_ chains to the activation of _Diabolik Shock!_ " SPIRIT announced. "Whenever another card effect activates, it will destroy a monster on the field, and if it is a Special Summoned one, I am allowed to draw another card! As such, I am destroying _Goyo Chaser_!"

DC-227 watched helplessly as his set Gravity Bind was destroyed in a flash of lightning that fired right out of Diabolik Fighter, before one of the laser-tipped tendrils of Diabolik Secure Gardna fired a laser into Goyo Chaser, killing the kabuki warrior instantly. When the particles cleared away however, they suddenly reformed…

Into another Diabolik Fighter that sped onto the field, performing the same maneuvers as the first!

**Diabolik Fighter/DARK/Level 4/Machine/Effect/ATK: 2800 (Originally 1800)/DEF: 1000**

**Diabolik Secure Gardna/ATK: 3900**

"Wh-what did you do?" DC-227 asked in horror.

" _Diabolik Fighter,_ when destroyed, simply Special Summons a Level 4 or lower 'Diabolik' monster from the deck. It was decided to call forth a second _Diabolik Fighter_ as such." SPIRIT answered, placing the card he had drawn into his hand slot.

"Oh no!" Melissa Claire cried as she watched the duel continue. "It's getting worse and worse for our Duel Chaser!"

"Yes, yes it is!" Kurei cackled. "Alright SPIRIT, make mommy proud and kill that faceless mook!"

"Commence direct attack!" SPIRIT droned. " _Diabolik Secure Gardna,_ attack! **Security Backblast!** "

The lower part of the crab-squid robot opened up what seemed to be the equivalent of a mouth, whereupon a large sphere of red and black electricity began to build up, aiming right at the Duel Chaser.

"FINISH HIM!" The commons in their various locales aside from a select few cheered.

"NOOO!" The Tops cried, not wanting to let the criminal escape without retribution.

"YESSSSS!" Kurei moaned in ecstasy.

But then…

" _Battle Fader's_ effect!" DC-227 roared. "If a direct attack is declared, I Special Summon him to end the battle phase! Then, I chain with _Goyo Substitute's_ effect! I banish the _Goyo Chaser_ in my GY to Special Summon Substitute from my hand and give it the stats of the banished monster! And I'll chain the trap card, _Back to the Frontlines_ to Special Summon _Jutte Dancer_ back in Defense Position!"

Just as the massive drone fired, a thin, pendulum-shaped creature, with a long hand ticking back and forth spun onto the field, letting out the long noise of a chiming grandfather clock. As if by magic, the energy blast dissipated, fading out inches away from the monster. Then, to join its comrade, a new kabuki actor, but very short in stature, as if Jutte Fighter had gotten into the make-up kit of his fellows, jumped onto the field, hastily assembling a version of Goyo Chaser's clothing that matched his diminutive size. Finally, Jutte Dancer appeared on the field, dancing gracefully as if she had never left.

**Battle Fader/DARK/Level 1/Fiend/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0**

**Goyo Substitute/EARTH/Level 5 (Originally 1)/Warrior/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1900 (Originally 0)/DEF: 1000 (Originally 0)**

**Jutte Dancer/EARTH/Level 3/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 700**

" _Jutte Dancer's_ effect lets me add a 'Goyo' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand, and I'll be picking the Equip Spell, _Goyo Warrant_!" DC-227 coughed, fighting off the pain that continued to flare in his arm.

"Y-yes!" Melissa cheered. "Just when it seemed like it was all over, the duel chaser managed to strike back! You'll have to try harder if you want to take down Security!"

"It seems more like his last breath, than anything." Roget commented, twirling a black kind in his hand idly. "But very well, let's see where it takes him."

"I set 1 card face-down. Turn end." SPIRIT said.

"M-my turn!" DC-227 groaned, drawing his card, but without much of a flourish. The pain in his arm was increasing, and he knew that he couldn't keep up the duel much longer.

He was almost tempted to chuckle. Back when he was a simple young boy named Takeo Sato, he had gained a great appreciation for Security, fully believing in their sense of duty and purpose in keeping the Commons back. He had always been that way as a child, and in school, excelled in physical education and dueling as he prepared himself for his dream. When he had been sixteen, he had witnessed the violent riots of the Commons when Chojiro Tokumatsu had been arrested, the aftermath of which had seen Security be expanded, with a draft being held for fit young men like himself. He remembered the various physical examinations that he'd gone through, one of which was a thorough body check-up that required him to be put under.

But what he was reminded of was the various exercises that he and others had gone through to test their endurance and pain tolerance. He didn't want to brag, but in his class, Takeo had been noted to have had the greatest amount of endurance and pain tolerance, hence why he was chosen to be a Duel Chaser.

But those tests, at their worst, had dealt with blunt blows from Real Solid Vision simulators, various objects most likely to be used as bludgeons, crash tests on his D-Wheel, and of course, tasers. Being shot at had not been part of the training, and the pain of having a laser go right through his arm, in a spot that had it been the right side of his body as opposed to the left, might've killed him from the shock alone.

But he had to endure. For Security, for his arrest rate, which, if it remained 100% for just three more cases, would give him a promotion to Elite Duel Chaser, which would thus enable him to reclaim his name, and proudly be called Takeo Sato once again.

It hurt, oh dear god, did it hurt...but he had to fight through it, and defeat the criminal in front of him. He looked at his hand. This was his last gambit.

"I activate the Equip Spell, _Goyo Warrant_! The monster that is equipped with this card loses its card effects!" he cried.

" _Diabolik Secure Gardna's_ effect." SPIRIT droned, in a tone that almost sounded like boredom. "As you activated a card effect, so will one of your Special Summoned monsters be destroyed."

"Not happening!" DC-227 spat. "Because I controlled a 'Goyo' monster when I activated _Goyo Warrant_ , you can't activate any card effects in response to it, and since I equipped this card onto a Synchro Monster, I can draw 1 card!"

A piece of paper with japanese symbols drawn on it, exactly like a paper sutra, appeared and affixed itself to the front of Diabolik Secure Gardna, causing its tentacles to go limp. Next, DC-227 drew his card, praying that it would be the card that would complete his last-ditch combo. He looked, his hands trembling…

And he smiled in relief.

"I next activate the Continuous Spell, _Goyo Force_! This card makes it so that each time a 'Goyo' monster destroys one of yours in battle, you'll take 500 damage!"

"Though, none of your monsters are strong enough to even destroy _Diabolik Fighter._ " SPIRIT commented blandly.

"True, not them…" DC-227 grinned in spite of himself. "But this one? Definitely! I tune the Level 3 _Jutte Dancer_ and Level 1 _Battle Fader_ with the Level 5 _Goyo Substitute_!"

The three monsters quickly gathered, Goyo Substitute throwing off the extra clothes and make-up to reveal the form of Jutte Fighter, who dissolved into five green rings that the demonic pendulum and graceful dancer flew into as they turned into four stars.

" _Noble soul, whose tale is passed down from generation to generation, appear on the roads this night and enforce your will! Synchro Summon! Arise, great warrior! Level 9, **Goyo Legend!** "_

This new monster who appeared took the form of a tall, black-short-haired man, whose samurai-like armor lacked the extravagant curves of his predecessor in favor of simpler ones, which helped to elevate his dignity. Nine ribbons gracefully curved around his body, and flowed through the speeding air with equal grace, as if ignoring the sharp winds associated with a Riding Duel. Quietly, he drew a simple katana, chanting quietly, before unveiling a large jutte attached to the sword's handle by means of a thick iron cable. His smooth face was painted white, but only simple markings, like that of a tiger's stripes, further adorned his face. Getting into a combat-ready stance, this new monster seemed to fit his name as that of a legend.

**Goyo Legend/EARTH/Level 9/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3600 (Originally 2700, but increased due to Jutte Dancer's effect)/DEF: 2000**

"I-it's beautiful!" Melissa Claire gasped, taken in by how handsome the monster was, even taking his face-paint into account.

"Now for his effect!" DC-227 grimaced. "I take control of one of your monsters! Such as your _Diabolik Secure Gardna_!"

Goyo Legend, quick as a whip, lassoed the jutte-end of his weapon around the crab-drone, restraining its tentacles and dragging it over to his master's side with minimal resistance.

"The fugitive's ace monster has been taken from him!" Melissa Claire cheered.

Kurei had just gotten back to her ramen, only to spit it out again, laughing at the reporter's ignorant statement. "Oh yes, that Level 6 monster is _clearly_ the best I could come with! AHAHAHAHA! NOT!"

" _Goyo Legend_ gains 300 ATK for each Synchro Monster I control." DC-227 explained. "With your monster on my side, that's 600 more ATK!"

**Goyo Legend/ATK: 4200**

"I'll also let you in on _Goyo Legend's_ other effect, he nullifies your Spell/Traps when he attacks! Meaning that your face-down card is completely useless!"

SPIRIT did not react, so DC-227 moved on to what he hoped would be the last turn of the duel.

" _Goyo Legend,_ attack _Diabolik Fighter_!"

In the blink of an eye, the warrior dashed right for the robotic fighter, appearing in front of it in less than a second. But unlike a human opponent, Diabolik Fighter was able to anticipate this movement, and managed to avoid Goyo Legend's first slash. But before it could dodge another move, a man dressed in black ninja robes, his face painted white, the same as his allies, appeared behind Diabolik Fighter, and jammed several kunai into its back, penetrating the armor and damaging the circuits.

"Oh! A new monster!" Melissa Claire cried.

"This is the coup de grace!" DC-227 declared. " _Goyo Shinobi's_ effect is that I can discard him to cut your monster's ATK in half! Not only that, but since I used this effect during my battle phase, this will give _Goyo Legend_ a second attack! And before you think about escaping from _Goyo Legend_ by playing Defense with whatever monster you bring back, _Goyo Force_ makes it so that any monster Special Summoned during the Battle Phase HAS to be in Attack Position! You lose!"

**Diabolik Fighter/ATK: 1400**

Goyo Legend wasted no time in bringing his master's declaration to fruition, and with a second slash of his sword, cut Diabolik Fighter in half from the waist, destroying the robot instantly.

**SPIRIT LP: 1200**

"Take the effect of _Goyo Force_!" DC-227 declared, causing SPIRIT to tense as the effects of the spell took hold.

**SPIRIT LP: 700**

"This is the end for you!" DC-227 roared. "I'll get a promotion from this for sure! My 100% win rate is secure! The Tops will be avenged from Commons scum like you!"

"GO TO HELL SECURITY!" The Commons who were watching the duel from their arenas yelled. "SPIRIT! SPIRIT! SPIRIT!"

From his desk, Jean Michel Roget looked at his board, idly moving a rook to engage in a smothered mate, but soon noticed two routes away from the winning move. An escape route, and the fact that the space was already protected by a knight. He could have warned the Duel Chaser to halt his attack, but then that seemed pointless. And if he had to guide his own Security officers through the most basic of plays…

Well then, they simply put, did not deserve to serve him.

"At the end of the Damage Step, _Goyo Legend's_ effect comes to an end." SPIRIT noted. "So before you declare the second attack, I activate the Trap card, _Diabolik Catastrophe_."

" _Diabolik Catastrophe?"_ DC-227 parroted back, not liking the sound of the name.

SPIRIT nodded in response. "The moment a 'Diabolik' monster is destroyed by battle or card effect, every monster on the field is destroyed, and the opponent takes 400 damage for each."

It was a simple declaration. Really, it was. But those words held a note of finality to DC-227, as his mouth went dry with the realization that with two monsters on his side, that was 800 points of damage, which was 200 more than his current total, and he had no cards to negate the trap, reduce the damage, or increase his own LP to weather it.

"W-what?" he squeaked.

It was then that a massive black whirlwind of pure darkness began swirling around the highway. It was no more powerful than a simple gust of wind at first, but it soon began to grow in intensity, becoming stronger and stronger, with the winds whipping at the two duelists, but primarily at DC-227 and his field, with his monsters struggling to brave the storm that was growing in power.

The man piloting the news helicopter was feeling it as well, with Melissa's loud, panicked screams that caught the attention of everyone who was watching the duel sealing the deal. Quickly, he drew away from the building storm, not wanting to even get close.

"Th-the fugitive has played an incredibly powerful trap! Wh-what will this mean for our Duel Chaser?!" Melissa screamed as loud as she could as the winds become more powerful, howling in intensity, drowning out all other sounds.

When the helicopter was a safe distance away, everyone could see the image of a large tornado billowing over the highway, destroying everything from within. Most people believe that the eye of the storm in a tornado is the same as that of a hurricane, and have put this into many forms of media, perpetuating a myth that is quite untrue. Quite simply put, tornadoes generally do not have eyes. The center is filled with vortices that cause further destruction, and this varies from tornado to tornado.

The cameraman looked at the tornado, seeing it slowly tear through the highway, ripping out the warning signs and destroying the lane indicators...until it dissipated as soon as it had come…

And he could see the profile of DC-227, many feet away from his now wrecked and destroyed D-Wheel, flying through the air, along with debris collected from the now ruined highway, before his body hurtled down to the Commons district below, impossible to recover. Down on the track, SPIRIT raced away calmly, unfazed and unaffected by the powerful storm he himself had conjured.

**DC-227 LP: 0 - LOSE**

**WINNER: SPIRIT**

"Oh my god…" Melissa gasped quietly.

Everyone else watching the duel had gone silent as well. No-one wanted to imagine what state the officer's body was in...and no-one was sure that they wanted to know just what horrors the poor man had endured as his monsters had likely been torn to shreds before he had been thrown off the highway, plummeting to his death, if the sudden velocity had not broken his neck or collapsed his lungs already.

"H-he won?" Kristina cried.

"He won…" Daniel muttered grimly.

Shinji, Damon, and Tony were already riding home on their D-Wheels, seemingly oblivious to what had happened. But deep down, perhaps they already knew...or at least Shinji already knew. He had a gut feeling about the man who he had seen on the screen...something that told him that he had not lost. He didn't know what the man was after, but deep down, he felt a sense of catharsis, seeing a member of the hated Security be destroyed so brutally and easily.

And Damon and Tony were content in believing in Shinji's instincts, so they remained quiet.

"DC-227…" Roget murmured, examining the man's dueling profile. Impressive for someone so non-distinct, he had to admit...but a failure was a failure, and this one happened to be fatal. "Ah well…"

And without another thought, Roget threw the black king into the rubbish bin, his mind already turning to the results of SPIRIT's victory. While it was more than a bit destructive, he had to admit, it was quite impressive, to say the least.

" _So, your thoughts?"_ a message from Kurei prompted.

" _I'll give them to you later. For now, let's let this issue resolve itself."_ Roget typed in response.

Indeed, there was still one more obstacle for SPIRIT to face, though his opposition viewed themselves more as the last bastion that had a chance of definitively stopping him tonight.

Less than 100 meters away, Officer Soichi Kazama, whose taller, broader, and bulkier figure set him apart from the rest of the team, had led a squadron of nine other members of Security to barricade the straightaway to fully box in the criminal. This was achieved through the usage of a large police truck parked horizontally across the road, which was useful for hauling away either mass-numbers of criminals, or in this case, a singular dangerous criminal anomaly. Kazama and five officers stood at the front, with three D-Wheels parked right behind them in case there was a further need to chase SPIRIT. Two officers sat in the driver's seat of the truck, and two more remained inside the containment trailer, ready to serve as backup to restrain the incoming threat.

SPIRIT did not look perturbed by this blockade however. Instead, he simply accelerated towards them, drawing nearer and nearer.

"Here he comes!" one of the officers called.

"Restrain him now!" Kazama ordered.

" _Goyo Chaser!_ "

" _Goyo Predator!_ "

" _Goyo Guardian!_ "

Two of Kazama's subordinates had chosen the Level 5 monster that DC-227 had used in his duel, two more had chosen a rather vicious-looking monster whose armor was adorned with fur and horns, and whose eyes were a deep, demonic red, while his hands and feet were shaped like demonic talons. The fifth had chosen a monster with more extravagant, but regal clothing, which exposed his more human-like figure, with neatly-done up black hair, but still wearing white-and-red facepaint.

The five enforcers dashed towards SPIRIT, who simply pointed his hand at the road.

"When _Diabolik Secure Gardna_ is destroyed, a Level 5 or lower 'Diabolik' monster is Special Summoned from the GY, while the destruction of _Diabolik Fighter_ calls forth a Level 4 or lower 'Diabolik' monster from my deck! Counter them now, _Diabolik Secure Enforcer,_ and _Diabolik Blader_!"

Before the jutte-wielders' weapons could connect, Diabolik Secure Enforcer appeared from a purple void, brandishing its laser blade to block the attacks of Goyo Guardian and the two Goyo Predators. To follow that up, a new robot emerged, this one holding a large triangular white blade that contrasted with its pitch-black armor, which was shaped to make it seem more like a knight than a simple android. But it blocked the attacks of the two Goyo Chasers with ease, locking its sword with their juttes.

The deadlocked monsters and SPIRIT were almost on the Security Officers. Stepping forward, Kazama slammed a monster onto his duel disk, determined to end SPIRIT's rampage.

" _Chaos King Archfiend_ , attack!" he commanded.

A tall, thin, almost skeletal demonic creature emerged, whose head consisted of a yellow mask and a cloud of dark substance. From the demon's wrists grew two long spine-like protrusions, each coated with flames, and similar ones grew from its backs, which gave the appearance of wings made of flame. The monster was dressed in tight, form-fitting clothing of various colors that almost seemed like skin than cloth. It also towered over the duelists, being large enough to grab SPIRIT and his D-Wheel as easily as a little boy might play with his do-I mean, 'Action Figures'.

But regardless of that argument, the demon obeyed its master, and reached down to grab the criminal and bring him to justice.

Not even SPIRIT's current line-up of monsters could fight all six of their opponents at once. Simulations ran through the circuits that made up his mind, but the one that was decided on would be the option to end this as soon as possible. At the back of SPIRIT's D-Wheel, a small jet-like protrusion emerged, and roared to life, leaving behind a trail of red energy as SPIRIT accelerated once again, but at a much faster rate than before.

Just as Chaos King Archfiend's hand came down, so did SPIRIT speed forward, and angling his D-Wheel, lept into the air, enabling his monsters to break themselves out of the deadlock with the Goyo monsters, throwing them back, as they dashed to strike at Chaos King Archfiend, who stumbled just enough to clear a path for SPIRIT to complete his jump over the barricade, and accelerate at record speeds into the darkness.

"In-incredible!" Melissa Claire gasped. "The fugitive didn't just beat the Duel Chaser, but avoided Security's barricade!"

"M-ma'am…" the teleprompter whispered, pulling out his tablet, which had a message typed onto it.

" _End the broadcast immediately. This is an order from Security, backed by the Executive Council."_

"Uh, um…" the reporter stammered, before wiping some sweat from her brow, surprised that she hadn't noticed it until now. "This has been Melissa Claire! Good night everyone!"

"Damn it!" Kazama yelled, removing his helmet in anger to reveal his dark blue hair, arranged regularly at first, but soon forming a rather large spike from the back. Not wasting any time, he held a communicator to his mouth. "All units! Be on the lookout for a man in a black riding duel suit and on a long, streamlined dark blue duel disk!"

"Do you want us to pursue?" one of the officers asked.

Kazama sighed. "No...we can't risk losing any other men tonight. Let's try looking for Takeo's body, at least we could try to give him a proper burial…"

"227's name was Takeo?" one of the officers whispered to another, who shrugged.

Meanwhile, in Jean-Michel Roget's office, workers were scrambling to gather as much information about SPIRIT as they could, with complaints and reports from numerous Tops residents who had either been a victim in his attack, or who had witnessed his crimes on live television, ringing through notifications. Calls for SPIRIT's profile were put up, but with his features completely non-distinct, from even the closest photo possible, there was a high chance that they would not be able to catch him…

" _And you said it was a waste of money to build a cloaking device for him!"_ a message to Roget from Kurei chimed in.

" _Yes, yes, you've proved your point. Allow me to deal with this, and then I'll want you and the others for a report."_ Roget replied as he prepared to deal with the incoming paperwork and bureaucracy.

Back in the garage, Tama switched off the television, and looked at Yugo and Yuzu. "Alright you two, time to go. Nice to meet you Yuzu (Not really), and so on and so forth, have safe travels, now let me get back to sleep!"

And the older boy had successfully hustled the white rider and the girl in the red jacket out of his garage, with only a D-Wheel for company, as he closed the garage doors and switched off the lights.

Yugo looked at Yuzu, whose face was a mixture of bewilderment, indignation, and dread. Bewilderment and indignation from Tama's attitude, and horror from seeing the gruesome and violent death of the Security Officer. Yugo, personally speaking, did not have an ounce of pity for the man, figuring that he was probably some prick from the Tops who got off on arresting Commons, and even if he wasn't, Yugo was more than used to the power struggles in Neo Domino that whatever mercy he might've had towards the now-deceased officer would likely be very poorly placed.

So, there was really nothing to do now, but to head home.

"C'mon, let's go." he said.

"Go where?" Yuzu asked quietly, all of the energy leaking from her body. It had been far too rough of a day, and exhaustion was starting to get to her.

"The orphanage where Rin and I live." Yugo answered. "Pretty certain we can spare a bed...You can use Rin's room. I mean, I don't think she'd mind...but…"

Really, what else WAS there to say? There were far too many things going on right now that neither teen could really process them. Yuzu didn't know whether to scream, at Tama, or Yugo, the enigmatic duelist SPIRIT, or even herself. She didn't even think she had enough energy to cry as she digested the horrible events that had happened so far. A deep fear ran through her that these events were about to become normal for her, and it was that fear that kept her quiet as she joined Yugo on his D-Wheel, except of course, screaming in panic as Yugo tore through the alleyways.

As they rode, Yugo admitted to himself that he too had no idea what was going on right now. Academia was one thing, but now a new threat had arisen in his home. He was nowhere near finding out how to get to Rin, owing to how unpredictable Clear Wing's teleportation power was, and how it seemed that the military organization was everywhere. It was like a series of opponents that kept building up in front of him, like walls that grew taller and taller the more of them he climbed. Part of him wanted to know more...but with no solution in sight, maybe it was best that he use what he had learned from back when Rin was kidnapped and get some rest.

He and Yuzu would certainly need it.

* * *

Having long since slipped away from Security, SPIRIT deactivated his cloaking device and quietly rode in the lower roads leading to his destination.

At last count from the previous year's census, Neo Domino City had a precise population of 10,363,564 people, spread out over an area of 305.12 square kilometers, resulting in high population density. Much of this area consisted of the fragmented districts of the slums of the Commons, with the Tops pushing for architectural styles that focused on vertical construction to make the most of what little space was available. What representatives had tried to vouch for the Commons in favor of land reclamation to help thin the population density had either found themselves outvoted or found to have died of health complications/accidents, and those who remained in favor had to rework their proposals to better favor the Tops.

One such proposal came as a way to expand Dimension Express. The company, founded by Clark Smith, with loans from the Executive Council, focused on D-Wheel construction at first, thanks to partnering with the engineer/businessman duo of Robert Pearson and Isiah Bolger. The company had then expanded by taking advantage of Real Solid Vision upon its introduction, quickly gaining a contract with Sector Security, which was already making ample use of the technology, and drawing new ones with already-present business dealers in the Tops...and quickly absorbing other companies/putting them out of business.

It had been around this time that Robert Pearson died in a work-place accident relating to Real Solid Vision, leaving Isiah Bolger alone to sort out the business. The company could afford to hire new engineers, but it would be quite some time before they could find someone with Pearson's skills, as quantity could not defeat quality.

The news, of course, reported how Pearson had been rumored to favor Commons despite his origins as a resident of the Tops, with several spurning the man for even thinking of such an inane idea.

Isiah Bolger, of course, was not reached for comment, while Clark Smith spun the tale as a tragedy, and how their company would go from strength to strength regardless, to honor Pearson's memory.

That was when the proposal was suggested. Dimension Express would receive its own 'Pillar' as it were, an entire district to itself. Ironically enough, it would make use of the Commons by offering them jobs in the soon-to-be constructed factories, in a massive facility that would stretch about, and consolidate much of Neo Domino City's D-Wheel manufacturing.

With support from the head of Security and the Executive Council, the proposal was passed, and Dimension Express soon grew into a massive monopoly, helmed by Clark Smith.

It was most unfortunate however, that a year after the new headquarters was constructed, that Isiah Bolger had been reported to have died from a heart attack. On the bright side however, a new head engineer by the name of Kurei Sozotai had been hired not too long afterwards. She was more eccentric than Robert Pearson, but had a brilliant mind and excellent handiwork, filling the void that had been left behind from his most unfortunate 'accident'.

Of course, SPIRIT had been programmed to know that Robert Pearson's 'accident' was horse-crap, that Isiah Bolger's heart attack four years ago was not sheer coincidence, and that Dimension Express' favoritism among the Executive Council and Jean-Michel Roget was not from simple happenstance.

In fact, the only event that had been down to sheer dumb luck was Kurei's hiring. As if the pinkette's eccentric personality wasn't enough (at least according to Clark Smith when he did not have enough coffee), somehow the woman had created a rare unplanned opportunity for the organization. True, they had been searching for a new head engineer, but from what the records showed, they had been looking for someone reserved and dignified, not someone who coded a working _Earthbound 64_ on a scratch-built Nintendo 64DD just to troll video game players via forums.

Of course, Kurei _had_ been the one to give SPIRIT life. She had built him after all, she was essentially his mother.

SPIRIT entered through a passageway that most Commons would use to enter the massive complex during the day-shift, but as it was night, there was no need to do so. Especially since this was meant for deliveries and inventory-checking, so those Commons actually HAD semi-reasonable working hours.

Perhaps if Robert Pearson had been alive, there would be such working hours for all…

But as Kurei was already waiting for her 'son', whistling happily to herself, it would've been quite clear to any outside observer who knew of the dirty history of Dimension Express that she would rather schedule those Commons for usage as test dummies instead of treating them like human beings.

Because as Kurei watched a recording of SPIRIT's effective murder of the Duel Chaser, as well as one of his massacre of several Tops, the smile on her face showed that she relished in the destruction that had been caused. Her appearance likewise, did not indicate an orderly person. Her pink hair curved up and spiked like a brush, helped by the plaid headband on her head. Her spiral-glasses hid her pupils perfectly, and her green-striped shirt, which was covered in coffee and oil stains, along with the long black gloves and boots that she wore atop and underneath her labcoat. It would've been clear even to a newcomer that Kurei was a chaotic individual.

"Excellent work, SPIRIT!" She gushed, hugging the killer robot like he was a child or teddy bear instead of a semi-sentient weapon. "The tests all went by beautifully! You passed with flying colors! Mommy's so proud of you!"

"Why must you hug it?" an annoyed voice asked.

Kurei turned around, with SPIRIT looking up to acknowledge the new presence. Of course, while most humans would not be able to make out who it was in the shadows, both Kurei and SPIRIT knew exactly who this man was. Kurei because she simply recognized his voice and silhouette, and SPIRIT because he had night vision and could immediately identify the man in full, even the colors of his suit.

The pink-haired scientist stuck her tongue at the man and just hugged her creation even tighter. " _He's_ my baby, that's why! And he did a good job too!"

"I won't deny that he was...quite effective." a new voice said, but he actually bothered to enter the dimly-lit loading bay.

His face was scarred, covered in pock-marks. His scraggly, spiked hair was grey, but his long eyebrows were a dirty blonde. He wore the usual outfit of a Security Officer, specifically that of a Duel Chaser, but instead of simply being designated by a code, a name was placed proudly on his I.D. tag. A name which read: _Shinra._

"Still, this will send the Tops into a frenzy and make my job even harder." Shinra sighed, clearly not looking forward to putting in more hours. "Especially with my reputation. They might as well call me out to duel him if Roget is displeased."

"Speaking of which, we're to communicate with our dear chief of security once Clark returns." the shadowed man said. "If he can smooth things over with the Tops, then it will make my job easier, and thus yours as well Officer Shinra. I doubt you'll have to fight SPIRIT. Unless his AI goes out of control...And I do hope such 'emergent qualities' as you have kindly described in the past, do not emerge at all, Miss Sozotai."

"Make fun of the fact that I couldn't afford college why don't ya…" Kurei growled with annoyance, not afraid of the glare that she knew that the 'unknown' person was probably throwing at her right now.

"Meow."

The three looked on the ground to see that a large, fuzzy black cat with a grumpy face had wandered into the room.

The silhouetted man seemed to tremble briefly, before sighing in annoyance. "Why must you communicate using that creature instead of a duel disk like a normal person, Woland?"

"Meow." the cat said, scratching its ear.

"I think he's just having the cat do some recording for later. Guy's gotta sleep after all." Kurei said nonchalantly before cooing over the fluffy animal. "You want some treats, Behemoth? Oh yes you do!"

"Of course Woland gets to have eight hours of sleep while the rest of us do thankless night-shifts." Shinra grumbled.

"You, of all people, should be used to sleeping lightly." The silhouette admonished, shaking his head in disgust.

"Now, now, everyone, let's stop this pointless small talk." Clark Smith said as he too entered the loading bay. "It diminishes us."

The silhouette seemed to look at Clark Smith with a critical glare, causing the CEO to flinch in terror. "I do not require such a reminder Clark." he growled in annoyance. "Nor did I ever recall you being in a position to ever say those words to me."

"Y-yessir." Clark Smith stammered.

"The same goes to you all as well. Even the robot, if he is listening, the cat, if it can understand human language, and Woland, once you listen to this recording." the man said, voice devoid of exasperation, and now filled with threatening overtones. "We are agents of a grand mission. To act so casually about it, foolishly about it, diminishes our status. We are the first chaos in the matter of all things, and we should do well to remember that. Clark is quite correct, this small-talk diminishes us, especially when we have a client whom we should be speaking to right about now."

The CEO gulped, knowing fully well who was baring holes in his skull. "I-I am aware. I'll contact him right away."

Shinra, for his part, remained silent, trying his best to keep an impassive face, while Kurei rolled her eyes. SPIRIT merely stood still on his D-Wheel, and Behemoth was too busy cleaning himself to care.

Clark Smith pressed his watch, the room darkened completely, with only the eyes of the black cat glowing, as a massive holographic projection of Jean-Michel Roget manifested in front of the motley group.

"Ah, I see you are gathered." he said approvingly. "Excellent show, I must say, Mr. Smith. I can see how you got to where you were. Truly, you are an excellent ally to have."

"Thank you Roget-sama." the CEO nodded, face still sweating from fear, but his voice was much more steady.

Of course, that was not because he feared Roget…

"And Miss Sozotai, your work has been exemplary!" Roget praised. "I will admit, lending you all of those blueprints was something I did worry about, but so-far, I'm impressed with the results! How soon can you have the specifications of what I desire?"

"Ah, that." Kurei coughed, straightening herself off of SPIRIT. "Well, give me two more months, and I should be able to complete the next stage of Project: Legion based on what was already provided, along with my own work regarding SPIRIT. He needs a few more duels before I can say for certain about the mass-produced Artificial Intelligence needed for a project of this scale. A duel or two with Sergey being involved wouldn't hurt either. The Friendship Cup would be an excellent final stage for the data I need."

"Hmm…" Roget mused, picking up a bishop from his chessboard and using it to initiate a fork between a king and a rook. "That would serve a dual purpose as well...if worse came to worst...Jack Atlas has proved useful in placating the Commons and pleasing the Tops, but that is admittedly a double-edged sword. I'd wager they trust him more than they do me."

"I have studied the approval polls." the silhouetted man said. "I'm sad to report that you're not wrong. That being said, I personally view Jack Atlas as more of an opportunity and an asset than a threat. His win record and reputation have helped keep the City stable for three years, and we've long since chased out the one duelist who might've stood a chance at disrupting that delicate balance."

"Ah yes…" Roget muttered. "Though, I understand you failed to silence that duelist?"

Shinra cleared his throat as the silhouette went rigid with what the officer knew was pure rage. "While it is true that the Showman escaped from us sir, he is in another Dimension already. If we went looking for him, that might reveal our presence and, well…"

Roget looked at Shinra condescendingly. "Don't think I fail to understand the need for secrecy, Officer Shinra. But if his goal is to stop Academia, then he has no business or need of returning here. After all, I have no intention of letting the Professor take my kingdom away from me."

"And you have our word that we will assist you in any way possible." the silhouetted man declared, bowing to Roget from the shadows. "The reputation of Synchro shall not be sullied by an invasion of the inferior, and it is through the control of a singular will that our people will advance to a shining future."

Neither Kurei, Shinra, or Behemoth were particularly impressed by their 'colleague's' speech, but Roget smiled softly, approving of the man's apparent zeal.

"Yes, I do like the sound of that." Roget whisphered. "A singular will, my will, to control this City as my kingdom."

Silence fell as the five individuals of scientist, cop, robot, CEO, and cat did not know how to respond to the flair and dramatics of their associates. Coughing quietly, Clark Smith spoke up again.

"Is...that all, Roget-sama?" he asked. "If so, I can send you Kurei's progress report for you to confirm the status of the project."

"And I can give you the approval ratings concerning the merits of keeping Jack as King, or tossing him off his throne." the man in shadows said, his hand gesturing closer to the light of Roget's hologram, revealing pale skin, and a pure white sleeve covering the arm. "Likewise, I should have reports on the news media after tonight's incident so we can prepare for crowd control measures, if need be, and the cost of the damages that SPIRIT wrought."

"Hmm, well..." Roget said, stroking his chin in thought. "I can always arrange for donations from the Tops to fix the highway lanes, and I can easily find more Duel Chasers when it comes to controlling the population. They are expendable."

Shinra coughed, causing Roget to blink as he looked at the officer who had distinguished himself to the point of keeping his name, an honor only two other Security officers had managed.

"Mostly expendable." he said, smiling, though Shinra knew that there was no kindness or benevolence in it.

"You've all done well. That will be all. We shall continue in the morning."

And with that, Jean-Michel Roget vanished, and light returned to the loading bay. However, the pale-skinned man slid back into the shadows, as if he feared being seen.

"...Did you really mean what you said about Roget's 'will'?" Kurei asked, placing emphasis on the W-word with air quotes while Behemoth ran up to inspect SPIRIT, before curling up and settling in the robot's lap.

"Oh heavens, no, not his will." the shadowed man scoffed. "Trash like Roget is better suited as a pawn pretending to be a king. When the cretin outlives his usefulness or becomes... difficult, we will either eliminate him, or turn his resources against him to make sure he...understands his place, so to say. Either outcome will give us control of the City, and put us one-step closer to achieving our Grand Design regardless."

"...Are we so certain? We did lie to Roget about the Showman after all...It was because of that little theft he pulled two-and-a-half years ago that he obtained the resources to counter Academia." Shinra pointed out.

"Meow." Behemoth purred.

SPIRIT proceeded to pet the black cat, automatically speaking up for the first time, as if translating the cat's language.

"And there have been reports on his progress, which indicate-"

"The Showman is not a threat to us." The silhouette of the white-suited man hissed. "You forget that the reports have confirmed that he has failed in his objectives, so if he is not a threat to Academia, then I doubt that he is of any threat to us. He might have stolen our technology, but I doubt he or whatever poor excuse of allies that he gathered knew how to make use of it before they were all cleansed."

Kurei opened her mouth as if to protest or make another snide comment, but thought better of it and instead cooed over SPIRIT and the now sleeping Behemoth, cuddled up in her creation's lap. Clark Smith remained quiet, silently wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, while Shinra shrugged, seeming to agree to the individual's assessment of a potential Spanner in the Works.

The silhouette turned, now completely fading into the darkness, wordlessly making it clear that the nightly meeting was now over. As he walked away, he left behind one final quote, born of his assurance of what seemed to be an inevitable victory, that echoed through the hall and into the loading bay for everyone to hear.

"Besides, what sort of person would be capable of stopping us?"

* * *

While the Tops districts were certainly cleaner than their Commons counterparts, one thing that both held in common was that as sprawling urban areas, they were naturally home to a great number of alleyways, with the only differences being that the ones in the Tops formed from buildings of steel instead of just bricks, the ground was paved, there were more security cameras to protect against robbery, and the amount of garbage was only half of what one would find in the Commons.

In terms of similarities however, a very obvious one was that both still could hide people, and as cameras were primarily installed to protect businesses, that mean that not every alley had a camera. This of course meant that no-one was able to immediately spot a distortion in the fabric of space, followed by a flash of blue light, before eight individuals manifested one-by-one, spreading out into the alley as their forms congealed.

The first was a boy wearing goggles on his head, a white-and-red coat in a fashion akin to a cape, large green cargo pants, an orange shirt, and most strikingly of all, a blue crystal pendant adorned with silver wings.

The second was a boy the same age, but he certainly did not look like it. He wore the same coat as his companion, but wore it properly to cover his enormous muscular frame. He wore large metallic geta sandals, with bulbous black hair, and a nose to match.

The third individual was a girl wearing an unzipped and short baggy red jacket over a black vest that in turn covered a white shirt, along with a grey skirt with deck pockets, with a yellow bandana to tie up her hair, and large red-and-black boots.

A fourth person, with yellow-and-brown hair, and wearing a uniform identical to the first two boys, walked behind the girl, rolling his shoulders. "Yeesh, traveling across dimensions is not easy…"

"Hmph, so says you." a husky voice chided, as a tall teenage male no older than seventeen, wearing a long blue trenchcoat along with a red scarf, his blueish-black hair adorned with a bang shaped like a wing stepped forward, eyes peered for danger.

The sixth individual kept quiet, aside from whistling a jaunty tune. His hair was red and curly in crumpled spikes, with his clothing consisting of a long-sleeved blue collared shirt with a purple bow tie around his neck, and an orange jacket on top of that which was missing a right sleeve and with a shortened hang on the right side, as well as a black glove on his left hand, and dark pants and red shoes. Of his companions, this one's outfit truly was strange.

The seventh person truly seemed out there however, though his outfit had the decency of being simple. He was dressed like a combination of a ninja and a samurai, with a long blue scarf that wrapped around the lower half of his face like a mask, an armored headband over his blue hair, held up in a ponytail, and a katana on his back.

Finally, a tall man with silver-grey hair that flicked upwards at the ends, with red-rimmed glasses over his eyes, wearing a long red scarf over a plain dark-blue sweater, with white trousers and shoes, and diamond-stud piercings adorning his ears, stepped forward at a brisk pace, quickly getting in front of the first boy, who was busy gazing at his surroundings to notice.

However, there was yet one more individual, who trailed behind the man, carrying a patched-up teddy bear. This person was no more than ten-years old at most, and wore a large baggy blue jacket over her body, and thanks to her young age, it was hard to tell if she was a boy or a girl. In fact, most considered her a boy.

Of course, a person who knew of these people beforehand would know all of their names from the order of their introduction: Yuya Sakaki, Noboru Gongenzaka, Serena, Shingo Sawatari, Shun Kurosaki, Dennis Macfield, Tsukikage, Reiji Akaba, and Reira Akaba.

Obviously, there was no such person who immediately knew them in sight of course.

These people made up the Lancers. The organization that had formed to stop Academia's intended conquest of the other dimensions. They had recently been created in the aftermath of the Miami Championship after...a great many difficulties, and their first mission was to prepare for the war by allying with the yet-as-unknown Synchro Dimension.

"Is...is this the Synchro Dimension?" Yuya asked, seeing Reiji having taken the front.

"It should be, yes." the CEO of Leo Duel School said, pushing his glasses into place. "This is where we will begin our alliance with the Synchro Dimension."

"Shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Dennis asked, idly twirling one of his cards along his fingers.

"We won't know unless we find out." Gongenzaka replied. "We have no idea what to expect in this dimension."

"We do, actually." Shun grumbled. "Somewhere here in Synchro, there's a pawn of Fusion, someone working with Academia."

"Wait, what?" Yuya spluttered, having never heard of the term before.

"Before we start discussing that warning in enemy territory, let's just take in mind the idea that there is a chance that Academia has infiltrated the Synchro Dimension." Reiji chimed in, halting any further discussion on the matter.

Of course, Yuya's mind was already swimming with questions and theories as he had remembered the term from Yuto's duel with Yugo. The former had called the latter a 'Pawn of Fusion', but Yugo had shown no such traits that Yuya would learn was common among agents of Academia. He had to remember to get those facts straight with Shun, but Reiji's warning that such individuals were possibly in Synchro did cause a feeling of uneasiness deep within him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case." Serena put in, studying the architecture of the metallic alleyway that she and her team had found themselves in as they slowly navigated forward. "There's been plenty of rumors about Academia's black ops unit, the Necrophades Agency. I heard about them once or twice from the Professor. There's no doubt in my mind that they've been planting spies in the other dimensions."

"Like Sora…" Gongenzaka muttered, remembering how the blue-haired candy-muncher, whom Noboru had always considered more than a bit obnoxious, had mysteriously appeared in their lives right before Yuzu had encountered Yuto and Shun.

"Yeesh...that's frightening." Dennis chuckled nervously.

Of course, the red-haired entertainer wasn't going to spill the beans that _he_ was part of that agency, originally having been sent to locate Yuzu in the Miami Championship, and later retrieve Selena if the Obelisk Force that had been sent had failed. Having been stuck in the main tower of LDS, away from his comrades, he had to content himself with going on an improvised deep-cover assignment until he could find a friendly contact. Unfortunately, Dennis didn't know of any agents, if any, who had been sent to infiltrate Synchro, so for now, all he could do was hope that when he spoke to his superior again, Eli wouldn't be too angered considering the circumstances.

"Well, hopefully the locals treat us decently." Sawatari sneered. "Hope not all of Synchro is made up of creepy alleyways like this."

As the Abyss Actor user spoke these words, he failed to notice a pair of gleaming green eyes from a turn that Reiji had noticed led to a dead end. The turn also had a small crate obscuring a view of the ground, meaning that everyone would thus miss the eyes. The eyes focused when they caught sight of Yuya, and once again when they caught sight of Serena. Quickly the dark shadow darted amongst the group, and rubbed itself along the red-jacketed girl's ankle.

"Eeeyep!" Serena squeaked, causing everyone to stop right in their tracks. Mainly because Serena, who had proved herself a far more hardspoken girl than her Standard counterpart was (And Yuya could speak from experience on that one), did not seem like the kind of person who would ever make such a girly-sounding noise.

Of course, she had also been sheltered by Academia all of her life. Tsukikage, having been the sole witness to that fact except for perhaps Reiji, remembered how Yuzu had had to shove her Fusion counterpart behind an iceberg during the MCS, as the girl had tried to strip naked in public, so he wasn't exactly surprised. Granted, he knew that there were several kunoichi in the Fuma clan who likewise did not have that resistance to stripping, but they generally knew of social cues, and still needed that attitude mainly for their missions.

"What is it?" Shun asked, dashing over to Serena, eyes darting back and forth, fearing that the agents of Academia had already arrived.

Yuya happened to glance down at Serena's feet, and soon saw what the problem was.

"Aw, it's just a cat." he sighed in relief.

"Wait, are you...scared of cats?" Sawatari asked, earning himself a glare from Serena and for some reason, Shun as well.

"N-no!" Serena spat. "J-just never saw them in Academia! There was a strict no-pets policy!"

Of course, Serena had always had private lessons, and so had never interacted with, in fact, the one animal who had essential free reign over Academia, no matter how many times the staff had tried to catch him whenever he could be bothered to move out from his owner's lap or his bed. But the point where the Lancers' paths would cross with the path of Pharaoh the cat was not today, and indeed, would not be for a long while.

The cat that the Lancers had come across was rather large, and colored a smooth black, with some grey in its fur. It was also very fuzzy, with long hair, and with very striking yellow eyes.

"Meow" the cat said, purring as it rubbed against Serena's ankle.

"Aw...he likes you." Yuya cooed as he got down to look at the furry animal.

The cat looked at Yuya, and walked towards him nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Yuya soothed, holding a hand out for the animal to lick. The cat ignored Yuya's hand, but curled its tail around him, and began purring just as he did with Serena.

Gently, Yuya picked up the cat, tucking it into his arms. The animal seemed to enjoy this, and purred as Yuya pet his head.

"He's not dangerous, see?" he asked, presenting the cat over to Serena, whose view was soon blocked by Shun's arm.

"Oi, let me see!" she hissed, wrestling past the older boy, and looking at the cat. Indeed, he looked quite adorable, and reminded Serena of her own Lunalight monsters.

The girl reached out hesitantly, and began to pet the cat, who purred calmly as Serena grew more comfortable around him.

"Huh...I've never had a pet before…" she murmured. "It must be nice."

"Well…" Yuya chuckled, remembering how much of a handful Core and the other cats his mother had taken in could be.

"...Don't tell me that we're taking it with us…" Sawatari groaned.

"Well, if my mom was here, she'd definitely try to take him in…" Yuya couldn't help but laugh, grateful for a brief escape from his recent troubles. "But, he looks fully grown and-"

The cat did not let Yuya finish the sentence, instead squirming out of his arms, and running towards Sawatari, before jumping up and biting the boy on the hand before running off into the alley.

"OWWWWWW!" Sawatari yelled, grabbing his hand. "I'M INJURED! CALL AN AMBULANCE! CALL MY PAPA! HELP! HELP!"

Gongenzaka rolled his eyes and grabbed the whiny duelist's arm, looking at the injury. "That's hardly worth being called a wound." he grumbled. "We'll get you some disinfectant, but you don't need a hospital visit."

"Everyone, be on guard." Reiji called. "We're here."

And the nine duelists stepped forward, taking in their first true glimpse of the Synchro Dimension.

They were surrounded by buildings that, at first, seemed no different from the ones in Miami City. But they soon caught wind of details that the city of Standard did not have in common with the one from Synchro. Blocks of silver, each connected at the sides, were visible from the sky, stretching to connect with enormous hexagonal pillars that seemed to have their own districts atop them. Even the buildings in this district had subtle differences that marked them as being different from whatever equivalent they might have had in Standard.

"...There's another city on top of this one…" Gongenzaka muttered, speaking for everyone as they took the sights in.

But for Yuya, a singular thought soon began dominating his mind, as he realized that now that he was here, he could begin his real mission. A mission that he'd sworn to see through to the end to his principal, his mother, and the other students of You Show Duel School.

"Wait for me Yuzu." Yuya murmured to himself. "I promise, I'll find you and bring you back home!"

* * *

There were numerous benefits to a dimly-lit room. At least, if you were a shut-in, and the man currently inside of his apartment certainly did not discourage the sun. It just made it harder for spies to get into your room, especially when you were on an assignment that required you to be deep undercover.

Plus, it helped make the holographic video feed stand out. Woland had long since ignored the recording of his so-called "superior", as it was his usual trite nonsense and dedication to a mission that Woland could not help but feel was utterly boring, and in the end, proved far more detrimental to the development of humanity than beneficial.

That being said, the new footage that Behemoth the cat had recorded was very much not nonsense at all.

Woland, enveloped in shadow, watched with interest as he silently studied the profiles of Yuya and Serena, comparing them to pictures of several others who shared their face, a certain Academia student for Yuya, and a back-alley street-girl for Serena. A grin slowly came onto his face as he turned his attention, however briefly, to the pictures Behemoth had caught of the other Lancers. Likewise, a long mark over his left eye began to glow a dull red, before changing to a bright lavender, as a similar lavender light glowed on his arm fairly gently, but signifying the rise of even greater shadows.

"Well, well...the Hakaishin and the Sozoushin have arrived at last…" he chuckled, rising from his chair, the shadow congealing into a solid form around his body. "Do not worry about a thing...Your journey is about to become far more...enjoyable."

And with those words, the shadows of the man and the room became one, as the lights vanished, leaving behind an inky cavern of quiet darkness...and a declaration of things to come.

* * *

**Custom Card Section:**

_**DC-227 (Takeo Sato)** _

_**Monsters** _

_Jutte Dancer  
EARTH/Level 3/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 700  
If this card is used as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of an EARTH Synchro Monster: That monster gains ATK equal to its Level x100. You can only use each of the following effects of "Jutte Dancer" once per turn.  
_ _If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.  
_ _If this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Goyo" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand._ _  
_

_Goyo Substitute  
EARTH/Level 1/Warrior/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0  
(Quick Effect): You can banish 1 "Goyo" Synchro Monster from your GY; Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, this card's ATK, DEF, and Level become the same as the banished monster. You can only use this effect of "Goyo Substitute" once per turn. Any battle damage this card inflicts onto your opponent becomes 0._

_Goyo Shinobi  
EARTH/Level 3/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 300  
If a "Goyo" Synchro Monster you control battles an opponent's monster: You can discard this card; halve the ATK/DEF of that opponent's monster, also if this effect was used during your Battle Phase, the attacking "Goyo" Synchro Monster can make a second attack during the battle phase. If a "Goyo" Synchro Monster you control is destroyed by battle or card effect while this card is in your GY: You can banish this card; destroy 1 card your opponent controls.  
_

_Goyo Legend  
EARTH/Level 9/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2000  
_ _1 Tuner + 2+ non-Tuner monsters  
_ _If this card is Synchro Summoned: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of it. You can only use this effect of "Goyo Legend" once per turn. If a Synchro Monster attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Traps until the end of the Damage Step. Gains 300 ATK for each Synchro Monster you control._

**_Spells_ **

_Goyo Crest  
Equip Spell  
_ _Equip only to a "Goyo" Synchro Monster. If the equipped monster attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Traps until the end of the Damage Step. If a monster equipped with this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle or card effect: Destroy this card instead._

 _Goyo Warrant  
Equip Spell  
_ _If you control a "Goyo" Synchro Monster, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation. Negate the effects of a monster equipped with this card. If this card is equipped to an opponent's Synchro Monster: Draw 1 card. If this face-up card is destroyed: Shuffle it into the Deck instead of sending it to the GY._

_Goyo Force  
Continuous Spell  
If a "Goyo" Synchro Monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. Your opponent's monsters that are Special Summoned are changed to Attack Position, and cannot change their battle position._

_**SPIRIT** _

_**Monsters** _

_Diabolik Jar  
DARK/Level 3/Machine/Flip/Effect/ATK: 600/DEF: 1200  
_ _FLIP: Destroy all Special Summoned monsters on the field, also each player draws 1 card for each monster destroyed this way.  
_ _If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 "Diabolik" Tuner from your Deck. You can only use this effect of "Diabolik Jar" once per turn._

 _Diabolik Flyer  
_ _DARK/Level 3/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1000  
_ _If a "Diabolik" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, draw 1 card. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 of your "Diabolik" monsters that is banished or in your GY to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Diabolik Flyer" once per turn._

 _Diabolik Responder  
_ _DARK/Level 2/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 400  
If a "Diabolik" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Diabolik" monster during the Battle Phase: You can, immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 "Diabolik" monster using only "Diabolik" monsters and this card, but banish it when leaves the field. You can only use each effect of "Diabolik Responder" once per turn._

 _Diabolik Shielder  
DARK/Level 4/Machine/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 2000  
_ _Gains 200 DEF for each "Diabolik" monster in your GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Diabolik Shielder" once per turn.  
_ _● If a "Diabolik" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.  
_ _● If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Diabolik" monster from your GY, except "Diabolik Shielder"._ _  
_

_Diabolik Fighter  
_ _DARK/Level 4/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000  
_ _Gains 200 ATK for each "Diabolik" monster in your GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Diabolik Fighter" once per turn.  
_ _● If a "Diabolik" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.  
_ _● If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Diabolik" monster from your Deck._

 _Diabolik Secure Enforcer  
DARK/Level 5/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000  
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters  
_ _Gains 200 ATK for each "Diabolik" monster in your GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Diabolik Secure Enforcer" once per turn.  
_ _● If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 monster on the field; destroy it, then, if the destroyed monster was a Special Summoned monster, inflict 500 damage to your opponent.  
_ _● If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can draw 1 card._ _  
_

_Diabolik Secure Gardna  
DARK/Level 6/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000  
_ _1 "Diabolik" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Diabolik" monsters  
Gains 300 ATK for each "Diabolik" monster in your GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Diabolik Secure Gardna" once per turn.  
_ _● When a card effect is activated: You can target 1 monster on the field; destroy it, then, if the destroyed monster was a Special Summoned monster, draw 1 card.  
_ _● If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower "Diabolik" monster from your GY._ _  
_

_**Spells** _

_Diabolik Shock  
Quick-Play Spell  
_ _Target 1 "Diabolik" monster you control and 1 other card on the field; destroy them, and if you do, draw 1 card. You can only activate 1 "Diabolik Shock" per turn._

_Diabolik Recoil  
Quick-Play Spell  
_

_If a "Diabolik" monster you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent, also draw 1 card. You can only activate 1 "Diabolik Recoil" per turn._

_**Traps** _

_Diabolik Blast  
Normal Trap  
Destroy 1 face-up "Diabolik" monster you control, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK. You can only activate 1 "Diabolik Blast" per turn._

_Diabolik Catastrophe  
Normal Trap  
_ _If a face-up "Diabolik" monster you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect: Destroy all monsters on the field, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of destroyed monsters x400._ _  
_

* * *

**Annnnd BAM! The intro to Synchro is done! Next time on _Dimension Dowsing,_ we take a page from RWBY volume 4 and-**

***Sees a variety of weapons pointed at him***

**And delve into a series of separate plotlines that converge onto each other. Seriously people, Volume 4 was not bad in the slightest. Volume 5...ehhhh...alright you make a point there, but Volume 4 served as a good breather and world-building session. But if you do feel worried, I can assure you that I'll make sure that ACTUAL world-building is done in these chapters.**

**RANT TIME!**

**Okay, I know that we were not fans of the start of the Synchro arc, owing to the "time" spent "world-building", but if I'll be honest, ARC-V from Synchro onwards had the VRAINS problem of using a minimal cast to tell a story, and NOT in a good way (Implying that VRAINS was doing it good to begin with. Also, if you want a mishandled cast, try to endure watching all of ZEXAL. You WILL see disorganization up the wazoo). We didn't get anything substantial during that time except for another plotline that, in the end, was completely pointless, and only barely thematically relevant to the themes of the story and ended up being filler as our only "recruit" from Synchro was Crow Hogan, whom we all know as the guy who pushed to shill Konami's big money-maker deck that continues to torment us players with a sense of good taste in deck aesthetics to this very day. Seriously, no 'Enjoy Chojiro'?**

**I will assure all of you, that the next 5-6 chapters, AT MOST (Though those familiar with the length of my chapters may still groan), will deal with critical plotlines. While I will be using multiple POVs, I promise to keep the plot moving, and the characters interesting.**

**So yeah, next time, the Lancers are in the Synchro Dimension, and split to achieve their separate tasks after establishing a base of operations. The unlikely team of Serena, Sawatari, and Shun soon discover something unsettling...something that can only be answered in a Riding Duel! (PS, Garrett, our labors and various Discord arguments are about to FINALLY bear fruit, rejoice!)**

**-Epsilon Tarantula-**


	3. The New Factors: Security and Academia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...this is moving quick! Guess the Coronavirus is good for something after all!
> 
> Seriously though, people, be careful. Graphs are showing that we Americans have hit the level-off point, bless the power of ignoring media panic and focusing on actual statistics, but still, don't be stupid. Likewise, do not panic either. I mean, I'm a social shut-in so I'm not that affected, but as many in my BIOL class have informed me, everyone reacts differently, so try to remain calm. The worst is over, but keep your eyes peeled regardless.
> 
> Onto lighter news...
> 
> Yes, the latest chapter is out! I tell you people, how these chapters get so long is BEYOND me. Then again, like with GK, I am basically replicating episode lengths (Though I'm going to have to stick with those more as this story continues, while I'm freerer with GK...And once Finals are done, I'll get back to doing that edit I've been meaning to do).
> 
> When last we left off, our heroes had entered the Synchro Dimension NOT separated, so let's see how well they do together!
> 
> PS: To those of you who do Dark Signer AUs or like Dark Signer AUs, or try to use Dark Signers in some way, shape, or form, this chapter is very likely going to mock you at several points. #Sorrynotsorry.
> 
> Credit goes to Garrett for enabling me to utilize his old prompts and characters, several of whom appear in this chapter. You want to know which, send me a PM or find me on Discord, or find Garrett on Discord. YCM Wiki's a good place to go if you can. Also credit to Vile for an edit in this chapter considering a certain scene.
> 
> I don't own Yugioh, because if I did, ARC-V would've ended on a dignified note and VRAINS would have a budget. SEVENS is perfectly fine though.
> 
> PS, Still getting used to the AO3 format.

_Dimension Dowsing - Present Swing_

_Episode 56: The New Factors: Security and Academia_

"Okay, so now that we're here...what exactly are we supposed to do?" Sawatari asked.

Reiji gave a cautious look at their surroundings. Everything and everyone seemed busy, and did not notice the addition of nine more people to the moving crowds, nor the hustle and bustle. Before answering the blond-and-brown hair's question, the CEO instead motioned for the other Lancers to move forward with him, and blend into the flow of the people. Once he saw that everyone was moving, albeit getting impatient as the same question was lingering in their minds, Reiji finally explained his plan.

"We have three objectives at the moment." He explained. "First, we need to establish a base of operations for ourselves here. Given that this is a legitimate metropolis, a hotel is our best bet, with most likely a suite, or at the very least, rooms that are close in proximity with each other."

"Oh, phew…" Sawatari sighed in relief. "I thought we would have to sleep on the streets or something."

"Hmph…" Shun grunted, rather loudly, in fact.

Yuya turned, as if by instinct, to look at Shun, feeling his body having tensed. He began to wonder why, then remembered that Shun and Yuto had come from a war-zone, and there was a very high chance, if not a 100% chance, that the two had had to sleep in the alleys or abandoned areas of Miami City before whenever they had made contact with LDS. Yuya quickly realized that the subject might've been more than a bit touchy for the Raidraptor user, as Heartland's devastation would've made a simple bed a luxury item.

"What are the next two objectives?" Gongenzaka inquired.

Reiji looked behind, to gaze at his team, except for Reira, who remained clinging near her older sibling. "Those will be occurring simultaneously. First, we have to learn how the Synchro Dimension operates. What events are going on, how the dimension works, and if they have any knowledge on the Interdimensional War or not. These details will be critical for us to know if we are to gain their assistance against Academia."

"What's our second objective?" Yuya put in, hoping that it was the one that he so very much wanted to hear.

Reiji gave Yuya a look, before turning back on the sidewalk. "The second objective is to find Yuzu Hiragi. I don't know where in the Synchro Dimension she is, but I can assure you that she is very likely to be in this City, and as Academia seems to consider her, Ruri, Serena, and whomever the Synchro counterpart is, vital to their plans, securing her is among our top priorities."

"And you can count on us to find her!" Dennis cheered, glomping Yuya, much to the shorter boy's surprise as he tried to throw the Performage user off of him.

Serena, for her part, contented herself to look at the ground. She didn't very much like to be reminded that whatever it was that made her 'special' was the reason Leo had essentially trapped her in Academia and fed her propaganda to ensure that she wouldn't leave his side. The girl was almost tempted to laugh however, that her devotion to the ideals that Academia spouted would be what would cause her to defect. Still, she couldn't help but then steal a glance at the moon-gem bracelet on her wrist, feeling more than a twinge of guilt for being the reason Yuzu was now lost in Synchro.

Meanwhile, Tsukikage remained at the back, keeping an eye on the rear flanks. While he rather hoped that there were no such spies or dangers in the Synchro Dimension, he knew fully well that this was not likely to be the case.

Then, a chill ran up his spine, and in the front with Reiji, Reira let out a cry, like a weakened pup who had been suddenly struck by a powerful blow. Yuya himself could not help but feel as if the temperature had suddenly dropped, instinctively shivering.

The Lancers stopped in their tracks.

"What's wrong, Reira?" Reiji asked.

"S-something...cold...freezing…" Reira murmured. "Over...there."

Tsukikage and the others followed Reira's finger, weakly pointed to a building right above them. The ninja looked at the top of the building, but saw nothing. Just as well, the chill that ran up his and Yuya's spines vanished, and as it did, Reira's weak crying stopped, with the child trying desperately to calm herself.

"Tch…" Shun grunted, activating his duel disk, which emitted a purple V-blade.

"Wait!" Tsukikage motioned. "Not in public!"

He was telling the truth. While the crowd had thinned during Reiji's explanation, there were still enough witnesses who were taking notice of the activated duel disk, and drawing closer to the Lancers. Tsukikage cursed this, as even at his top speed, he would still vanish for a moment, and it might catch unwanted attention. He saw two men, indistinct from each other, but in police uniforms, on the other side of the street, clearly on break, judging by the sandwiches they were having, but close enough to their motorcycles that they could easily question them regardless.

The duelists tensed, none more so than Shun, who glared at Tsukikage, before doing the same for several passing individuals who had seen his duel disk, hearing murmurs of it being an 'unfamiliar design'. Gritting his teeth, Shun deactivated his duel disk, but kept an eye in the direction Reira had indicated. Tsukikage couldn't blame him. While the strange feeling had faded, it still felt as if something was amiss.

Because, as Shun had suspected and as Reiji had surmised, there were already unfriendly forces in Synchro, and two of them stood right above them, currently unseen thanks to the building's roof-top entrance shielding them.

"Damn…" Woland whistled, cradling Behemoth in his arms. "They nearly saw me…"

Ignoring the obvious fact that them seeing him would lead to trouble, on a personal level, Woland did not want to be seen by anyone right now, mainly due to his current choice of wardrobe. He would very much rather the number of people who saw him wearing clothes that he honestly wanted to set on fire or throw into the frigid waters of the Baltic Sea stayed in the single-digits.

He was wearing, much to his embarrassment, thick dark robes that were accentuated with scarlet stripes, complete with large, thick black gloves and boots, along with a hood and cape that covered his figure and hid his hair, along with most of his face, save for his lower face, which was an even peach-color, and and the majority of the...tattoo that resembled a set of crisscrossing 'x's that went all the way down from the upper part of the left side of his face, to the bottom half.

In short, Woland looked like a goth-wannabe edgelord from Hot Topic, much to his disgust.

Of course, he knew that the robes he wore had a history, but he also knew that they had a 'reputation', and despised that he was being forced to wear them. It didn't help that he was judged the most 'compatible' with them out of his colleagues, which was code-word for: 'Since Tezca was an idiot, we need the next best thing, and since you have the most indirect history with the you-know-whos, (and drew the short straw) you get to go. Lucky you!'

Woland looked down at Behemoth and his black-and-grey fur, the fluffy cat purring softly from the shadow man's pets.

"No, that's just mortal superstition." he sighed, shifting his arms so Behemoth could be more comfortable. "Complete nonsense they cooked up...Still...I suppose that there's worse jobs when you draw the short stick, eh, Behemoth?"

"Meow." the cat purred sleepily.

Woland tucked Behemoth into his left arm, while unveiling a small pouch on a thick brown belt adorned with other such pouches, along with a slip for a poodle-headed cane, around the waist of his outfit. Quietly, Woland opened up the pouch, and extracted a small handful of what seemed to be houseflies...at least, until his mark glowed a deep red, and as he opened his palm, so did the eyes of the "flies", which began crawling as they awakened, before flying up in the air, each turning around to face Woland the way subordinates turn to the boss for instructions. Of course, they were not really flies, per se, but instead robotic drones in the shape of flies that could be used to spy on the enemy.

Such technology would be a boon to anyone who had them. They were certainly more mobile and easier to hide than Security's Bug Coins, but their small size required a neurotech implant to properly operate, upon which Woland's mark had to suffice to install the operating circuitry. Regardless, the advantage these drones offered could not be denied.

But Shiro had ordered that they keep Kurei's greater inventions in reserve, in order to ensure that Roget did not become strong enough to break free of the puppet strings that he had handed to them.

"Keep an eye on those people." he grunted quietly to the bugs. "I need to keep my distance…"

Blinking back in response, the drones scattered in formation, their micro-cameras keeping a close eye on the Lancers, with the video feedback being complete with audio, though those drones that were too far away were immediately muted so Woland could tune out any background noises.

Inwardly, Woland cursed how he had been sensed. He was usually better able to hide his spiritual signature, but in his current condition (And maybe, probably the teleportation technique he had used), it was hard for him to properly regulate his spiritual energy. That meant that enemies who were trained instinctively, such as the ninja, developed instincts after high amounts of stress, such as the androgynous brat and perhaps the Resistance member, or those who naturally had powers, such as the Standard incarnation of the Hakaishin, could sense him if he slipped up even the slightest. Woland gently set Behemoth down on the ground, before examining his duel disk to watch the group. He could've taken a peak himself, but that would be foolish.

After all, Tsukikage, Shun, and Serena were now constantly watching the group's rear, not wanting to take any chances if they were being followed. The Lancers were now on the move again, but they were all walking at a much briskier pace than before.

"You've got to be kidding me, we're already dealing with danger this early?" Shingo groaned. "We just got here!"

"Don't complain, just keep walking." Serena hissed.

At this point, the Lancers had arrived at an intersection in the street, noticing that in the center, there was a large park, with a large monument of a duelist near the edge. Narrowing his eyes, Reiji noticed that the light was red, indicating that it was possible for pedestrians to cross the street. He immediately moved forward, and the rest of the Lancers followed him into the park.

Yuya looked up at the monument, consisting of a golden statue atop a stone pedestal. The monochrome color made it difficult to make out any discerning features, but his general profile radiated a sense of majesty.

But his thoughts were cut short by another interjection from Sawatari.

"So, uh...where are we going exactly?" he asked, swatting away a fly that was buzzing around him. "I'd like to know where we can find a pharmacy to treat my injuries!"

"You're not that badly injured." Gongenzaka sighed in annoyance.

"I'm looking for something." Reiji said. "Look at where we are."

Indeed, by traveling deeper into the park, the Lancers could see a number of walking trails through the forest that had been planted there, a slight respite from the enormous urban landscape. Likewise, several gazebos, benches, snack stands, and even a fountain, were in the area they were in, with Yuya realizing that this was more than likely the centerpoint of the park's trails.

Seeing an ice-cream stand be one of the attractions immediately got the attention of Shingo and Dennis, both of whom were feeling the early-noon sun beat down on them, but before either of them could move forward, Reiji motioned for the Lancers to join him at a map stand.

"C-can't we get some ice cream first?" Dennis asked. "It's so hot!"

"Yeah!" Shingo put in.

"No." Reiji replied bluntly, eyes focused on the map. "I want you all to study this map. It'll help us navigate through the city faster."

"B-but…" Dennis stammered, only for Gongenzaka to take him and Sawatari by the arms and drag them over to the map stand.

Reiji silently traced his fingers along the routes, finding that there were several hotels within a respectable walking distance, but none large enough for his needs. There were, thankfully, others that could be reached through public transportation however. The problem was figuring out which ones from there were simple motels, modest Inns, or simply spacious enough for his liking. A name stuck out to him, and he decided to go with his instincts about it.

"Everyone, check to see if you can access the internet through your duel disks." he ordered. "If you can, look up the 'Hotel Lola'."

Of course, Dennis' first priority was to use the 'Standard' Duel Disk he had been given to help with his infiltration of the Standard Dimension to send out a coded frequency to potential hidden agents of Academia within a 20-mile radius. Unfortunately, he found out that the signal was being blocked, and before anyone could notice, immediately switched to the net, which, while also monitored, seemed to be accessible at the very least.

"The Hotel Lola…" Yuya said, causing everyone's eyes to turn to him first. Nervously, the Pendulum-pioneer cleared his throat, and began to read. "It's known for being among the most high-rated business hotels in the Tops districts, and is named after the fashion model Misty Lola, who in fact owns a large share of the hotel's stock."

Reiji pushed his glasses into place as he made sure to find another location. This one, thankfully, WAS within walking distance. "Can you look up the rooms that it offers?"

"Um…" Yuya mumbled as he looked at the website. "What are we looking for exactly?"

"What is the largest capacity it can offer?"

"There's, uh, an available penthouse suite that has four bedrooms." Yuya said. "And, these pictures of it...it's really big. The living room on its own is big enough to sleep in!"

Shingo blinked. "Wait, does that mean that one of us is going to have to sleep on the couch or something?"

"It's sufficient for our purposes." Reiji confirmed without bothering to answer Shingo's inquiry. "Before we can head there however, we need to perform an exchange of currency. Tsukikage, have you found out anything?"

"This city uses its own form of currency." the ninja answered. "But outside, it is the same type of yen that we use in Miami City."

"Excellent. We will be heading to the currency exchange service, and then utilize public transportation to reach the Hotel Lola. On our way, I will make sure to book a reservation." Reiji said.

"How do you plan on exchanging money if LDS doesn't exist here?" Gongenzaka asked. "I'm not an expert on finance, but if LDS is not in the Synchro Dimension, even if we have money, without any formal accounts, they might not accept the exchange to begin with."

"I have prepared a number of false documents and data regarding the addition of such accounts, along with the acquisition of the money." Reiji answered. "If need be, I will simply bribe the official if he questions where the money came from, or simply open a checking account here in the City once the currency exchange is complete."

"We're already doing bribery?" Yuya gaped in astonishment. He knew Reiji had been...shady, to say the least, but he hadn't expected semi-criminal actions so soon in their travels.

Then again, no-one except for Shun and Tsukikage seemed to either. Though, as Yuya looked at Reira, perhaps the young duelist could be counted in that category as well...then again, Reira didn't seem to be paying attention to begin with. Yuya looked down at the hooded child, and then at Reiji, who seemed determined to burn the routes of Neo Domino City into his eyes as he studied the map. He still didn't understand why Reiji was bringing in such a young person, no older than Ayu, Futoshi, nor Tatsuya, to what was essentially planning out war in an unknown dimension. He had already seen the poor child react violently to the cold, unknown presence not more than twenty minutes ago, and didn't know how Reira would react if the situation truly turned violent.

"GAH! Stupid fly!" Sawatari complained, swatting at the air. "Go away already!"

"No need to worry about any of that, let us move on." Reiji said.

Everyone looked at each other, uneasy, but they obeyed. The walk was uneventful, with the Lancers still taking in the sights of Neo Domino. Yuya couldn't help but look at every nook and cranny, hoping beyond hope that he would see Yuzu there. He looked at the crowds of people going about their daily business, but he couldn't find Yuzu among them. The boy gulped, feeling restless. He was so close to his childhood friend, and yet so far away.

A powerful, yet affirming hand was then felt on Yuya's shoulder, causing him to look up. It was Gongenzaka.

"Stop worrying." he said, looking Yuya straight in the eye. "We will find Yuzu, we just have to be patient. It won't do you any good to run yourself ragged."

"I...I know that…" Yuya said weakly. "But...I can't help it. She's here, but I can't find her anywhere. I don't know where to look, and I apparently can't go looking for her until we're all settled for money and home…"

"We need the money to buy residency, and we need a place to sleep each day." Noboru reminded his friend gently, rationalizing why they were doing what they were doing. "We're in an unfamiliar city, up against either unfamiliar enemies, or more of these agents of Academia. We won't find Yuzu if we're going in unprepared."

The Pendulum-user stared at the ground, feeling deflated, but still feeling a twinge of defiance.

"Besides, once we do have all of those things, you can count on me to help you." the Superheavy Samurai duelist said warmly. "Yuzu is my friend too, don't forget. We're going to bring her home Yuya, don't worry."

Hearing these words of reassurance from one of his oldest companions, and indeed, one of the few friends Yuya had made, helped bring a small smile to the boy's face. "Appreciated…" he said softly.

Gongenzaka smiled broadly, before looking up. The Lancers had entered another busy intersection, this time one that reminded the residents of Standard of the center of Miami City, where Duel Schools would advertise themselves on either holographic screens or large television screens, which would also broadcast duels. On the television screens, a blond woman with long curls dressed in a professional red suit was explaining the news, and was just coming onto a new report…

Of course, this report was hardly good news.

" _There is still currently no update on the fugitive duelist, known as SPIRIT. Last night, at 9:00 PM, the fugitive attacked a gathering of persons from the Tops, before riding out onto the highways and being pursued by a Duel Chaser."_

The screens showed shots of the duel, and as the Lancers watched, some of them grimaced seeing how violent it was...and how one-sided it was. No matter what the so-called 'Duel Chaser' did, none of his moves seemed to faze the dark-suited, unidentifiable rider, who ended the duel by essentially creating a massive tornado that had, for all intents and purposes, torn his opponent apart.

"Wh-what is that?" Yuya gaped in horror, seeing the brutal duel in action before the screen cut back to the blond reporter.

" _The fugitive was not only able to defeat the Duel Chaser, but escaped from Security outright. As of right now, there have been no updates on where SPIRIT is. Everyone is recommended to use caution and be on the lookout for a duelist riding a long, streamlined dark-blue D-Wheel."_

"A duelist like that is in the Synchro Dimension?" Serena muttered. "Do you think he's associated with Academia?"

"Not necessarily." Reiji said. "This duelist may very well be a common criminal or a wild card."

"Still, the way he dueled…" Yuya muttered.

Tsukikage and Shun, though having taken the potential threat of SPIRIT into account, looked at the town square, noticing a rather high collection of officers dressed similar to the Duel Chaser. Both narrowed their eyes. Why was the number of officers so high? It was a question lingering in the back of their minds as to what would require such a large police force. It wasn't just here, they had noticed police officers everywhere they turned, and both were becoming suspicious.

Reiji looked forward, nodding as he found what he was looking for. "I will go on up ahead. The rest of you stay here."

"Understood." Tsukikage said.

"B-brother?" Reira asked, tugging on Reiji's leg.

Reiji looked down, his stoic expression not budging a centimeter. "If you wish to come along Reira, I won't stop you."

Reira smiled gratefully, following Reiji to the Currency Exchange establishment, leaving the other Lancers alone to gaze around and mill about however they could. The silence between them was near deafening, and a feeling of unease in the air. None of these people really knew one another, and two of them had been particularly antagonistic to the others before the entire Lancers group had been formed. It was a strange combination of awkwardness, frustration, and even paranoia.

It was perhaps inevitable then, that someone would try to break the silence, even if his motives were not motivated by altruism.

"So...I know we've only been here for like, what, an hour? Two hours?" Dennis suddenly asked, "but what are your thoughts on this dimension so far?"

"Suspicious." Shun spat.

"Ditto." Serena answered.

"Agreed." Tsukikage replied.

"Honestly, not that different from Standard." Shingo shrugged. "Think we passed a pastry store with my favorite sweet milk apple-berry pie with honey in the window on the way here…and of COURSE our money's not going to work in this city!"

"I have to admit...I'm seeing more and more police officers the deeper we get into this city…" Gongenzaka muttered, ignoring the spastic duelist's tangent. "It's becoming unnerving."

"What about you, Yuya?" Dennis asked.

Yuya remained quiet, looking at the gathered police officers. Some were questioning civilians, a holographic image of the helmeted duelist on the news present, only to get a negative response to their inquiry. He looked at his duel disk, wondering if he should pry into the matter deeper on the internet, before giving Shun a brief look. The Resistance member didn't acknowledge Yuya however, instead keeping his eyes peeled on the streets and Serena, paranoid about finding whomever was tailing them.

Yuya sighed, collapsing onto a nearby bench. "I...I really don't have anything else to say right now...sorry."

"You don't have to explain anything." Noboru reassured his friend, keeping an eye on Dennis, warning him not to pry any further.

And so, despite the hustle and bustle of the city around them, the seven Lancers all fell silent once again. Serena kept on trying to look around, but much to her annoyance, found Shun hovering over her like a hawk. Uncomfortable with this, Serena turned to Tsukikage, who, in all honesty, was really one of the few Lancers whom she had personally interacted with, even if it had only been because the ninja duelist had been sent to watch over her and Yuzu.

"So...is the enemy still nearby?" she asked.

Tsukikage glanced back at Serena before he turned his attention back to the buildings. "I can't tell for sure...my clan...if you don't mind me explaining, we're trained to be able to sense the intentions of others during our missions. I'd liken it to sharpening one's instincts."

"Sounds like the Survival Duel lessons that Academia's elite duelists get." Serena replied grimly. "In principle that is. Duelists are trained to always be on their guard, essentially training their sixth sense. The Professor never let me take it though."

"You're not wrong." the ninja confirmed. "Though, I don't know how exactly the two differ or are similar-"

"Enough, where are the Academia bastards?" Shun interrupted, much to Serena's irritation. "If they're out there, I want to take them out now!"

Tsukikage sighed. "I don't know whether they are nearby or not, and if they are near, I don't know where exactly. We shouldn't make a scene with these Security forces around. This dimension seems to be far more strictly monitored than Standard, so we have to exercise caution."

"So we're basically fumbling around until it's time to beat them down then." Serena grumbled. "Coward. Whoever this person is, they should show themselves and fight us already."

"ARGH!" Shingo cried, causing everyone to look at him. "Stupid fly! Why the heck do you keep following me around! Go away!"

Shingo of course, was unaware that there was more than one fly. In fact, a total of thirteen fly-drones had been sent to monitor the Lancers, each one placed in key locations out of sight, except of course, for the drone that was buzzing around Sawatari to act as a distraction. This would enable Woland to get whatever angles he wanted, and for listening in on their various conversations as well.

Already, he had recorded their movements and plans, shuffling through numerous holographic screens and live recordings, all while not even moving from his current spot, hidden from most prying eyes.

Unless an afternoon janitor arrived at the rooftop of the building he was on, in which case he would have to knock the guy out and move to another building, of course. But as nothing of the sort was happening right now, Woland was confident that he could remain sitting where he was.

"Hmm…" he murmured, moving his leg absent-mindely, only for his boot to get caught onto his cape, much to his irritation. "Urgh...Stupid robes...how anyone could view these as 'hot' or 'badass' is one of those questions that I will be asking until the heat death of the universe…"

But those complaints could wait (even though he had compiled an entire novel's worth of them in his head), for now, he had a job to do. He dismissed the screens, and typed in the 'Call' function of his duel disk, listening to the buzz until a grumpy female voice picked up on the other end.

" _What? What is it?"_ the voice of Kurei Sozotai groaned from the other end, sounding irritated. " _I was in the zone! Do you have any idea what it's like having to sift through so many lines of code and figure out which to keep for mass-produced copies of a less-advanced Artificial Intelligence WHILE making sure it can still adapt and work in team situations?"_

"Ehm, my apologies Kurei." Woland chuckled. "But, uh, we have a developing situation."

The sound of hands slamming on a desk in panic could be heard from the other end. " _Did Roget ban Red Demon's Noodle?"_

"Uh, no. Pretty certain that would be grounds for Jack Atlas to kill him anyways."

" _An army of vampires is moving about in the city!"_

"...I don't want to even know how your brain came up with that asinine idea…"

" _The last sweet milk apple-berry pie with honey was taken from my favorite pastry store!"_

"...Actually that might happen in the next few minutes. And it actually relates to the actual answer!"

" _Then what are you waiting for?!"_ Kurei cried. " _GET ME THAT PIE!"_

"Okay, just shut up about the pie for a few minutes, okay?" Woland demanded, getting back to business. "The developing situation is that just a little less than an hour ago, nine duelists suddenly popped up out of nowhere in the sector five mid-level Tops district, and from my observations, they came from Standard, with the apparent goal of countering Academia."

There was silence on the other end for a few minutes. " _Standard, you said?"_

"Eeeyup. From that problem dimension." Woland sighed. "Right now, they're doing some money exchanging before checking into the Hotel Lola. I'll send you my recordings."

The sound of furious typing on a holographic keyboard could be heard on the other end. " _What do we do?"_

"Hmm…" Woland hummed as he brought up the video feed again. He noticed that Reiji had returned, now holding a large aluminum briefcase, hearing from the video feed how he was handing the Lancers wallets with Neo Domino's currency. "Well, it's probably too late to hack into their leader's new bank account and render his savings to nil...or is it?"

" _Booo! That's boring!"_ Kurei whined. " _Not doing it!"_

"Congrats, you just volunteered to make sure that the idea is kept far away from whatever passes for ideas in Shiro's mind." Woland yawned.

" _Why do I have to do it?! I'm the engineer! Not the spy! That's your whole schtick!"_ the mad scientist complained.

"Because I'm the guy having to tail them, and about four of them were able to sense my presence thanks to Bouldergeist screwing up my concentration, so I have to take extra caution here. Clark's busy filling out paperwork, Shinra's out there 'keeping the peace' as it were, Mister I-was-once-a-bigshot is still in solitary confinement, and Shiro is busy controlling things from the shadows like how my least favorite dictator in human history came to power." Woland explained with a sly smile. "You can stand to come up with a cover story to appeal to the man in white's sense of complicated gears-within-gears plans. Should take you about five or ten minutes. Hell, you could probably half-ass it and we'd work out something."

" _Now I'm thinking we should have just recruited Misty in the first place…"_ Kurei grumbled.

"NO!" Woland roared. "ONE set of these god-forsaken robes of poor taste is enough in the world! I don't need to re-enact remaking the whole damn brand like everyone and their grandmother tries to do, and ARGH!"

A throbbing in the right arm, and a throbbing in the temples, with his markings glowing a bright lavender. Woland knew exactly what was going on, and loathed that it was happening to him. He despised this humiliating situation, being bound to that which could cause him agonizing pain whenever it pleased. He was not the best person suited to control it (from his personal perspective of aesthetics at least), but the usual hijinks had ensured that he was the one stuck with the job.

Woland groaned loudly in pain, clutching at his right arm. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP HUGE-HANDS-HANS! I am NOT in the mood today!"

The pain subsided, and Woland got to his feet, much to Behemoth's worry as the cloaked figure had had to pull out his cane to support himself. The cat pawed at his master's pants, wondering if everything was alright. Woland looked down, his forehead beading with sweat, but gave the furry creature a calm thumbs-up.

" _What IS it like living with 'Huge-Hands Hans' anyways?"_ Kurei asked. " _Yeah, yeah, I know it's a tangent, but hey, I'm curious."_

"I'd lose all faith in the human race if you weren't curious." Woland said with a grim smile as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his brow. "Imagine listening to your alarm clock on repeat 24/7, because you can't turn it off somehow, and then every so often the alarm clock explodes because of course it does and...oh hey, they're getting on a bus."

Indeed, the Lancers had boarded public transportation, via a simple white-and-green bus, and were now heading for the Hotel Lola. One of the fly drones had discreetly flown in, keeping out of sight of the Lancers, thus enabling the other twelve to track the bus as they flew ahead.

" _That didn't answer my question."_ Kurei pouted.

"Well, the time for small-talk is over anyways." Woland said, rolling his shoulders. "I'm going to keep on tracking them. You hack into the Hotel Lola's mainframe so we can get ready to bug whatever room they pick. I'm going to keep tailing them for now. We'll review notes later tonight. Byeeee!"

And with that, Woland disconnected the call. He looked at Behemoth, whose yellow eyes began glowing green in anticipation.

"C'mon kitty, we've got work to do."

Behemoth meowed, before running off and jumping from rooftop to rooftop with incredible speed, with his master following behind and playing catch-up as they followed the Lancers…

* * *

"Honestly, that was pretty smooth for a bus trip." Shingo sighed as he got off the bus, being the fourth Lancer to do so after Reiji, Reira, and Serena had gotten off.

"So this is the Hotel Lola…" Noboru muttered as he followed the Abyss Actor duelist.

Yuya was next to leave, and he looked up at the imposing sight.

For a hotel, the silver building seemed much more like a fortress, appearing as a great many towering cylinders lumped together in a manner akin to a honeycomb, forming a massive structure that loomed over the Lancers, appearing far larger than even the largest hotel in Miami City. Indeed, the capacity could very well have surpassed Miami City's largest tourism count during the summer holiday season or duel tournament seasons. He couldn't help but gulp at the sight as a result, but silently followed his comrades into the lobby, which was a large, open, ornate space.

Reiji stepped forward to the front desk, which was currently helmed by a strict-looking woman with short, curved brown hair, wearing narrow glasses that hid her eyes completely, along with a beige staff uniform. A nametag on her right indicated that her name was Kate.

"How may I help you?" Kate asked, pushing her glasses into place, a severe expression on her face.

"Good afternoon, my name is Reiji Akaba and I'm here to finalize my last-minute reservation." the LDS CEO said curtly.

Kate looked behind Reiji, seeing the Lancers all mulling in the lobby, and gave a disapproving stare. "That many people? In our largest penthouse suite?"

"Surely you won't find it a problem." Reiji replied calmly. "From the previews, it seems large enough to hold nine people, even if it won't be in bedrooms."

"Unacceptable!" Kate hissed. "This type of suite is the kind that our hotel's namesake lives in! It's not made to hold a traveling party of ruffians!"

Reiji gave Kate an impassive look. "I have made my purchase. Unless you want me to take my business elsewhere, in which case, I will gladly do so."

Kate moved to open her mouth, only for a buzzing noise to be heard. "Um, excuse me." she grumbled, as she pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she read it, and her facial expression became crestfallen as she looked at Reiji, the Lancers, and then back at whatever message had been sent to her. Sighing in defeat, Kate wordlessly moved back to her computer, and began typing.

Reiji did not let his facial expression change, but wondered if the woman had had a history of being difficult with guests in the past, if she was so willing to back down after one reminder. Of course, he then wondered why the woman simply hadn't been fired already, choosing to file that tidbit away for later if it was needed.

"Here are your keys." Kate grumbled. "You still only get four though. That's all I can allow."

"I would prefer that we have nine in total." Reiji remarked. "Unless you desire for me to speak with your manager...or your hotel's namesake, if possible."

Kate's nostrils flared in anger, but she begrudgingly obeyed Reiji's request, handing him five more keycards for the room.

"Enjoy your stay." she grit out.

Reiji nodded calmly, and walked over to the Lancers, handing each of them a keycard. "Now then, let's preview the room."

Unfortunately, the elevators did not quite have the capacity to hold all nine of them, especially considering Gongenzaka's bulk. The Lancers split into teams of three, each getting in a different elevator, until they were taken to the top floor of the hotel, and from there, walked down the luxurious hallways…

To a very exquisite room.

"OOOOOH!" Sawatari drooled. "It's beautiful!"

"Very nice, very nice!" Dennis applauded.

The living room of the penthouse suite was enormous, with Yuya feeling that it was perhaps larger than his house back in Miami City. Ornate decorations and classical paintings dotted the room, with a comfortable shade of scarlet carpeting. Several leather chairs and a leather couch surrounded a small coffee table, and an enormous window gave everyone a much better view of the City. Yuya walked up to the window, and gazed at the massive metropolis. The observation that there were cities within a single metropolis turned out to be accurate. Enormous hexagonal white pillars, emerging from the ground in diagonals, held many more districts on their surface, with some even taller than the one that the Hotel Lola stood on. Yuya saw that the pillars seemed to be connected by massive highways, under which was a flood of brown. He wondered if that indicated yet even more districts, and was once again perplexed at the sheer size of Neo Domino City.

"Welp, it's like I feared, someone's gonna have to sleep on the couch…" Shingo sighed, "and thus-"

"Not it." Everyone chorused, except for Reiji and Reira, but then that was to be expected.

"B-but, I can't sleep on the couch or on the floor!" Sawatari spluttered. "I need my beauty sleep!"

"That's irrelevant." Shun said, rolling his eyes at the idea of Sawatari surviving more than one battle against Academia if he was complaining about where he slept. Granted, Shun could've kept quiet, but personally, he had enjoyed having a bed to sleep in again. Not that he would ever admit it, even when Yuto had graciously accepted the offer when the two had first allied with LDS.

"I have brought a reserve sleeping bag." Tsukikage put in. "I am used to it. I will sleep in it, so as to better keep watch."

"Thank you!" Shingo weeped graciously.

Reiji clapped his hands to get everyone's attention, causing them all to look at him.

"Now, we can begin to initiate our main objectives." he confirmed. "Tsukikage, Reira, and I will be looking into Neo Domino City's power structure. If we are to ally with the Synchro Dimension, we should at least be familiar with their leadership. The rest of you will split into teams of two or three. You are to search for Yuzu Hiiragi, as well as any other factors in the Synchro Dimension that we do not want to miss, such as the duelist we saw on the news. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Dennis enthused.

As for Yuya, that was all the news he needed. Without a second thought, nor another word, he rushed out of the room, with everyone present knowing what his objective was.

"Yuya, wait for me!" Gongenzaka cried, running after his friend, the clank of his metal geta echoing on the floor.

"I suppose I should follow them!" Dennis smiled cheerfully. "See you all later!"

And he exited the room as well.

Reiji and Tsukikage nodded, with Reiji subtly pushing Reira forward as they too left for their mission. Soon, only Serena, Shingo, and Shun were left alone in the penthouse suite.

"Well, that was a chore!" Shingo sighed, crashing onto the couch...until a strong hand picked him up roughly from the arm and dragged him out of the luxury. "GAAAHHHH! SHUN, STOP!"

"What part of me looks like Shun?" Serena growled, causing Sawatari's face to pale. He had thought that because she looked like Yuzu, that she would be just as fragile. Clearly, he was mistaken. "C'mon, we have work to do!"

"And I'm coming with you." Shun said.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be the 'lone-wolf' character?" Shingo gasped as he managed to get out of Serena's hold (since she simply let him go).

"I have my reasons." Shun answered, keeping a straight face with shut eyes.

Shingo opened his mouth to reply, but Serena grabbed his arm again and dragged him out of the room. Soon, the three were out in the streets again.

"Where should we start looking?" Serena asked, this time not letting Sawatari out of her grasp, causing the LDS braggart to squirm, not that Serena noticed or cared.

"We comb the City block-by-block." Shun growled. "If Academia's agent is here, then our first priority is to locate whoever it is!"

"How can we tell?" Serena asked, looking around. Her time with Yuzu (and a debriefing from Reiji), had revealed to her that not everyone around her was a duelist. Indeed, most of the people around them were business people going about their way. She didn't feel any fighting spirit from any of them. It was very unlikely that they would know anything about Academia.

"C'mon, Misty, I wanted to stay!" a boy cried on his duel disk, causing the three Lancers to stop in their tracks. "Yes, I know I have homework to do, but everyone else was dueling there and I wanted to see it!"

The boy had neatly combed brown hair, with two very long bangs at the front, and very wide blue eyes. At first glance, he was completely unremarkable as he walked down the sidewalk, but the clothes he was wearing caused Shun and Serena to stop in their tracks as they got a good view of his uniform. The uniform trousers were a dark grey, and the jacket being more like a suit, colored blue, over a long white dress shirt and red-tie. Finally, a DA emblem was located on the right of the uniform, immediately informing the two of who he was.

They were here.

Academia _was_ in the Synchro Dimension. But not just infiltrating it with a few agents, oh no...they had somehow, through some cruel twist of fate or evil strategy, created yet ANOTHER Academia in the Synchro Dimension to serve as a base of operations. Rage filled Shun's mind with disgust. Their entire mission now seemed pointless. The Lancers were too late. Academia had already sunk its teeth into an alliance with the Synchro Dimension. The white rider and his dragon were probably advance agents so Synchro duelists could have a preview of the Resistance. Perhaps Academia was training such a squadron to finish the Resistance off. If their Fusion monsters alone couldn't cut it, they would use Synchro instead.

The Resistance member's blood boiled, but he felt clarity in his rage as he knew exactly what to do.

"BASTARD!" Shun roared, marching right towards the boy, who jumped in fear, nearly dropping his duel disk.

" _Toby, what's going on?"_ a somewhat deep feminine voice emerged from the duel disk.

"You're from Academia aren't you?" Shun growled, looming over the boy, who backed onto the wall in fear.

"U-um...y-yes?" Toby whimpered in fear.

"Tell me where I can find your comrades, and I might let you live." the Resistance member growled, holding his duel disk at Toby threateningly.

"U-um, h-here's a map." Toby stammered, pressing a button on his duel disk, with Misty's voice on the other end, becoming more and more panicked.

" _Who's that? Are they threatening you? Toby! TOBY!"_

Shun glared, studying the route intently as he typed the coordinates into his duel disk.

"U-um...shouldn't we stop him?" Shingo squeaked.

"If that boy is an Academia student, that's not exactly an option." Serena whisphered gravely. "We're too late...Academia's already allied with Synchro."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Shingo yelled.

"You! What are you doing?!" a voice called.

Serena and Shingo turned to see a well-built man with dark-blue hair that was at first smooth at the front before forming a large curvy spike at the back, wearing the same uniform as the other officers they had encountered, marching towards Shun, who snapped back in a rage.

"You...you're with them, aren't you?" he growled.

"What are you talking about?" Kazama asked, confused, but without the sternness in his voice fading. "If you're talking about Security, then yes, I'm with them! What I want to know is why you are harassing a kid!"

"I'm not stupid…" Shun hissed. "You're with Academia!"

Kazama glared at the crazed look in Shun's eyes, feeling more than a bit disturbed. First SPIRIT killing Takeo, now this. "Sir, I am with Security. I am not a student of Academia, nor was I ever one. But I have a duty to protect and serve this City's civilians, including the boy you're attacking. What you're doing is harassment and assault all in one!"

"U-um, it's just a misunderstanding!" Sawatari squealed, causing everyone to look at him. "Um, well...uh, my uh, friend here, he's just a bit tired and on edge from our trip! And well, he's really stressed out! That happens a lot with him!"

Kazama gave Sawatari a look, noticing that Serena was in a combat-ready stance. Already he felt a need to call in backup.

"W-we're travelers, you see?" Shingo cried, completely failing to act casual as he flailed about like a drunk man jumping on hot coals. "Back in my hometown, my papa is getting re-elected for another term as mayor! A-and well, my uh, group, came here to vacation! Shun here is just really, really tired, and thought that the kid was someone we knew! Really annoying kid that one, we had to kick him out!"

Not entirely a lie. Sawatari remembered how Sora had somehow beaten him and his goons up with nothing but a lollipop stick, and still felt sore over the incident. Sora turning out to be a spy was just icing on the cake.

Serena gave Shingo a look, wondering why he was trying to defuse the situation. The girl felt itching for a fight, especially after an apparent ominous presence and dealing with this police officer. Her mission parameters came to mind however, as well as her own warning about the Necrophades Agency. As if circuits connected in her mind, Serena realized that with the nature of their mission, trying a fight now might not be the best tactical decision...even though her urge to crack some skulls was still strongly there.

But some way, somehow, tactics won out over blind bloodshed, and Serena relaxed her body. She didn't even know that she had tensed, her fighting instincts having been so ingrained into her.

"He's right, officer. Shun, let the kid go. He's not Sora." she said at last.

Shun looked at Serena, incredulous. Perhaps he was thinking that she was still loyal to Academia, even if she wore Ruri's face. Honestly, Serena couldn't really tell.

Toby, for his part, just stayed frozen in fear.

"Let's just head to...where was it again?"

"T-the Academy Dueling Track?" Toby squeaked, by instinct.

"Yeah, that place." Serena said. "We just want to check it out."

"W-we don't mean any harm, officer! We swear it!" Shingo cried.

Kazama pinched the bridge of his nose. Just what was going on? His gut told him that these kids were telling him a truthful lie, in that while they were lying to him, they were clearly using something that was true as a basis for said lie. If they were heading for Academia, they, or at least the thuggish man in the overcoat, might try to harm the students...and with that in mind, he really couldn't let them past him. They needed to be taken in for questioning. He wouldn't harm them, but he wasn't just going to let them off with a warning…

Then his duel disk began beeping out a message.

" _SPIRIT was spotted in the Sector three low-level Tops district. Send reinforcements now! Officer Kazama, report immediately!"_

Kazama's eyes widened. Now things were different. SPIRIT had shown his potential for damage...but he couldn't just leave these unknowns alone…He took a look at the boy whom Shun was threatening, and recognized him as Misty's little brother, Toby. Well, that essentially ensured that the thug had signed his death warrant. But just to make sure…

"Alright, I'll leave you off with a warning." he said. "Toby, leave now."

The boy nodded, and scrammed for the hotel whose identity came from the last name he and his older sister shared.

Kazama immediately took off running for his D-Wheel, but when he got there, he immediately sent out a new report.

" _Suspicious individuals spotted. A group of three total. Intending to reach Academia. Any officer who can, please keep an eye on them."_

He didn't know which or how many officers would be sent, but at least he could ensure SOME defense for the students. Kazama then revved up his D-Wheel, and sped for the district, hoping to catch SPIRIT.

As for the three Lancers.

"That was too close…" Shingo sighed in relief.

"Why did you stop me?!" Shun roared, causing Sawatari to wince. "Academia is HERE in Synchro! We're too late! They're already taken it over! They've installed a new school right here! We should've kept up the attack from the start! We should've turned that brat into a card and sent him to them as a warning!"

"Look, I'm not going to defend...him." Serena sighed, pointing at a now irate Sawatari. "But our mission was one of subterfuge. We shouldn't go making a scene just yet. For now, we need to actually GET to Academia first, and THEN we can tear them apart."

Sawatari elected not to comment on the bloodthirsty glint Serena's eyes took as that last part was mentioned.

"Tch…" Shun growled. "...Fine. I got the information I needed out of that brat anyways. We don't have any time to waste. Let's go."

And the Resistance member stormed off, with Serena and Shingo trailing not too far behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, up above on another roof, Woland and Behemoth had seen everything thanks to the fly drones. Woland had chosen to use his personal cloaking device to be on the safe side in case he might've been seen, and had curled Behemoth up in his cape to hide the cat from the enemy. The dark spy had split the drones into four groups: A single drone that had snuck into the Lancer's suite to get photos of everything, while the remaining twelve had been evenly split into three squads of four to spy on each of the groups of Lancers. He had seen everything, and now…

He was tempted to laugh his ass off. Which of course, was a temptation that he gave into.

"Oh my god!" he guffawed. "I think Shun just signed his death warrant!"

" _You're welcome, BTW."_ Kurei's voice rang, though this time from a holographic image that Behemoth was emitting from his eyes.

"Oh? Really now?" Woland sneered broadly. "I DID wonder why Officer Kazama, a man of such noble qualities, would suddenly just leave the crazy birdman alone."

"He's not gonna find anything though." Kurei said, lazily putting her hands up behind her head. "I just hacked the report, just like how I hacked into that receptionist's phone to make sure everything ran smoothly."

"Great minds think alike then…" Woland smirked. "You don't exactly like the straight and narrow path if the road less traveled is more fun."

"You're one to talk." Kurei snorted, failing to suppress her own smirk.

"True, true…" Woland chuckled. "I mean, that IS why we're here in the first place. To make sure that the straight and narrow gets covered in so many rocks and trees that the road less traveled seems a more pleasant trip."

"So, what's your plan now?" Kurei asked.

Woland petted Behemoth's back, causing the cat to purr in content. "I'm going to keep an eye on Reiji Akaba myself. Chances are that he's going to reach the Executive Council building. Once I know he's on his way there, I'll intercept him...and THAT'S when I'll tell Shiro that he's here."

"Not gonna tell him now?"

"Hell, no." Woland grimaced. "If I do, he'll spoil all the fun. I'd like to see how these Lancers do without constantly being hounded by mountain lions, after all."

"And the others?"

"We'll let the Hakaishin and his 'companions' do the heavy-lifting for us when it comes to finding the Sozoushin's Standard Incarnation. I'd rather not waste my time combing the Commons districts. Besides, knowing Shiro, he'll immediately put all of his resources into tracking them down anyways, so that'll be a bonus seeing him get frustrated. Plus, that'll mean you don't have to spend time staring at dirt 24/7 if he's already doing it."

"Appreciated."

"And as for the Sozushin's Fusion Incarnation and her, uh, 'bodyguards', we already know where they're going, and it just so happens that it's towards a place I know very well! And while classes are out right now, I know someone who is probably still there, and she'll be VERY helpful in keeping tabs on them."

"Oohhhh...that'll be fun…" Kurei sneered.

"I'll tell her right now." Woland hummed as he typed in a message.

" _Keep a lookout for these people. They're heading your way. They'll probably end up at the dueling arena. Let them do so. I want to see how they play. Security might also be a factor, so keep that in mind. Signed, Woland."_

"And with that, I'm out, peace." Kurei said, making the sign as the hologram dissipated.

Woland snorted. "You? Peace? That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one."

* * *

Much to the annoyance of the three Lancers, the Synchro Dimension's Academia was too far away to simply reach on foot. Up ahead from their start point was another bus stop, but with no transportation in immediate sight, and the low likelihood that the bus would be heading there at the current hour, they'd had to make do with flagging a taxi and pool their resources to be allowed to head over to the facility. Apparently, classes had long since ended, but the taxi driver assumed that they were either lost transfer students or just wanted to see the actual students in action, as many of them would be practicing on the track at this time of day, and told them as such.

"Trust me, it's really quite popular. You don't have Riding duels where you come from? You're missing out."

Shun remained quiet, thoughts of vengeance dominating his thought process. Reiji had staunchly refused to just invade Academia and rescue Ruri, on the grounds that they did not have enough people, but at this moment, a mere three individuals were essentially being let into the heart of the enemy's stronghold, causing him to think back and consider Reiji's actions hopeful cowardice. Was he being harsh? By all accounts, Shun was feeling downright generous. By sheer accident, a chance to slake his need for revenge had been handed to him, and he wasn't going to let it slip out of his hands.

He spared a glimpse at his 'comrades'. Or rather, the dandy idiot and the girl who looked so very much like Ruri, but was not her at all.

His opinion on Shingo Sawatari was not exactly positive. He had remembered that Yuto's first opponent in Standard had been an utter weakling, and learning from Reiji that Sawatari was that opponent had not given the Resistance member a very approving image. Even later down the line, with his two new Pendulum decks, Shun could not sense the hardened determination to win or survive in Shingo, whether it be his duel against Yuya, or the duel against the Obelisk Force, which had in the end required a total of seven duelists, two of whom were carded, just to beat back three men. Shingo's attitude at present wasn't doing much for Shun's opinion of him.

As for Serena, except for her clothes and different hairstyle by way of her bandana, the girl looked so much like Ruri...but her personality was so different. Her face was constantly hardened, and at this moment, bored, whereas Ruri, from before the invasion at least, would always have a shine in her eyes if she learned that she would be going to new locales. Serena was always itching for a fight, and while it was true that she had talked Shun down from crushing the new Academia brat, he could see an eagerness to discard unsatisfactory prey in favor of a more filling meal in her eyes that had motivated it. Ruri would've tried to get Shun to stop from the very start.

Shun grit his teeth as a medley of emotions, memories, and conjectures came to mind, and he worked hard to shove them out. He could deal with it when they got there, and tore those Academia bastards a new one…

Of course, when they did get there...

"Wait, wait, you're telling me we have to walk the rest of the way!?" Shingo griped.

"Security procedure." The taxi driver shrugged.

"Then you can forget about us giving you a tip!" The Abyss Actor user spat.

The taxi driver responded by flipping the three off and speeding away.

"Tch...asshole…" Shingo complained.

"Come on, we're literally on their doorstep." Serena chastised, taking a look at the school.

Just like the other districts in the Tops sections of the City, this new Academia facility was installed atop an enormous hexagonal pillar, large enough to have several roads leading into the campus, akin to a university, along with a long track that surrounded the entire campus like a border. Many buildings, each with their own function/purpose, dotted the campus. Right now, Serena, Shingo, and Shun were in front of the center building, which in all likelihood was the main building of the campus.

"So...where's this arena then?" Shingo asked.

Serena looked at her duel disk, seeing a holographic map of the campus. She had stepped in front of her companions, and now turned around to show them where they had to go.

"There's a practice track at the other end of the campus. That's where we need to go."

"Good...then that's where we'll crush them…" Shun hissed, storming off.

"Oi! Wait for us!" Serena and Sawatari yelled as they raced to catch up with Shun.

Though, granted, only Serena was succeeding at that as Sawatari trailed far behind.

Now, it should be pointed out that Shun Kurosaki was never what one would call a 'strategic' or 'patient' person. Even before the invasion, if you were to ask his younger sister Ruri, his best friend Yuto, his personal rival, Akane Kuroko, acquaintances such as Allen Kozuki or Sayaka Sasayama, or outsiders such as Akira Yushida, etc, It would be easy to tell that Shun was a hot-blooded, impatient, and overly-serious person, traits that they would privately admit had only been worsened by the invasion of Heartland. Obviously, Serena and Shingo were getting a first-hand glimpse of what it was like working with someone with Shun's lack of impulse control and utter lack of reasoning when under stress, and so were perhaps more than a bit preoccupied at keeping Shun under control until they reached their destination…

Which meant that they did not notice a certain individual who had just exited the main building, an individual whose eyes intently followed the 'newcomers' on the campus grounds...

* * *

Kyoutaro Masakuni was not a lot of things. Honestly, in most situations, he was content to be the guy in the background, behind the table or counter or stall, just serving people food. Some called him boring, while others were surprised at how a person with his appearance (Tan-skin, blond hair, and being a fair bit taller than his peers), could be so quiet and introverted. Ironically, that calm quiet had actually earned him a few friends, though how that had happened still baffled him greatly.

Why was this relevant?

Because he would rather be _anywhere_ right now, instead of on a D-Wheel on the practice track, wearing a yellow-and-brown riding duel suit, dueling against Ran Kobakayawa and being on the losing end.

"Ohohoho!" Ran laughed in triumph. "You were a more adept opponent than I thought, Masakuni, but in the end, _I_ am the one who will be winning this match! Ohohohoho!"

"Boooo!" Zenshin Torimichi, a boy wearing the standard male Duel Academy uniform, whose distinctive feature was short, but messy orange hair, along with a minor amount of facial hair on his chin, called in disgust from the steel bleachers.

However, he wasn't alone. On the stands, four other students were sitting with Zenshin. There had been more previously, but the day's duels were winding down, and thus, they were the only ones remaining to watch the current matches. With the amount of time left before boarders were to get to their rooms and other students were to head home, it was likely that only one more duel could be fought today.

"Like we need to see _her_ win streak keep on going…" Mei, a girl with short, smooth black hair, wearing the standard female Duel Academy uniform, grumbled. "Ran's going to be unbearable if someone doesn't step up to bat."

Another student, a boy with wavy, medium-length dark blue hair, with long aquamarine bangs, coughed, pushing his thick-rimmed glasses into place. "I suppose I might have to step in. I'd rather be able to study with at least SOME peace and quiet."

"Was that a jab against me, Keiro?!" A male student wearing sunglasses with wild blond hair arranged in long spikes, and disco-ball earrings adorning his eyes in addition to his uniform, yelled, wanting to know the answer.

"Stop...that…please...Hibiki…" Keiro Ochisuita groaned.

"I ain't hearing you deny it!" Hibiki leered, glaring at Keiro, who just stared at the wannabe-announcer emotionlessly.

"Um...can we focus on the duel, please?" Sakura, a girl with light-brown hair, arranged into two long-ponytails at the back with a yellow ribbon, asked.

"Not really much of a point." Mei drawled. "Kyoutaro's screwed."

Indeed, paying attention to the stats of the duel showed that yes, Kyoutaro was doomed to be defeated by the blond-haired duelist wearing a tight-fitting dark green riding duel outfit that exposed her cleavage, riding on a D-Wheel of similar coloration, designed as if someone had taken the body of a limousine, and adapted the shape for a motorcycle.

**Current turn: Ran Kobayakawa**

**RAN LP: 1600**

**Controls 'Orchid Reaper Coronatus', has two cards in hand, controls Fiendish Chain**

**Orchid Reaper Coronatus/EARTH/Level 8/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100**

**KYOUTARO LP: 1200**

**Controls 'Croprotector Neolith - Emmer', has no cards in hand**

**Croprotector Neolith - Emmer/EARTH/Level 7/Plant/Synchro/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1200** _**(Effects negated due to Fiendish Chain)** _

"I activate the effect of _Orchid Reaper Coronatus_!" Ran declared. "By shuffling 1 Insect monster from my GY into my Deck, she gains its effects, along with half of its ATK! I choose my most glorious servant, the _Orchid Mantis!_ "

The image of a card appeared, and then faded, as Orchid Reaper Coronatus, a tall, imposing female figure wearing a cross between armor and a dress, that was flower-themed until reaching her face, whereupon a mask akin to the head of a praying mantis covered her facial features. In addition, a pair of large mantis wings grew from her back, and they flexed as she absorbed the power of Ran's monster, elegantly twirling a double-ended scythe whose blade was emerald green fading into pure white.

**Orchid Reaper Coronatus/ATK: 3000**

"And now, the effect she gained from _Orchid Mantis_!" Ran cried out, relishing in her victory. "I discard my entire hand to inflict 500 damage to you for each card I discarded, turning my hand into a sharp-flower sickle! As I'm discarding two cards, you will take 1000 points of damage!"

Coronatus opened her wings, before quickly flapping them at Kyoutarou, with two 'X'-shaped blasts of energy impacting him. He was able to remain on his D-Wheel however, silently enduring the blows aimed at him.

**KYOUTARO LP: 200**

"This is the end!" Ran cheered. " _Orchid Reaper Coronatus_ , destroy _Croprotector Neolith - Emmer_!"

Kyoutarou's monster was a rather shorter, but certainly not small, elvish-looking fellow with tan skin covered in yellow tribal markings, wearing thick gray armor that still exposed his frail figure, and a sword that was shaped like that of a wheat plant. Had he not also been bounding in numerous gray chains, he would've been able to fight off the tall, imposing mantis-woman, but sadly, that was not about to happen.

Moving with the grace and ferocity of a predator, Coronatus swung her scythe, cleanly decapitating Emmer as if he was a crop to be harvested.

**KYOUTARO LP: 0 - LOSE**

"And the winner, of course, is me!" Ran cheered as she finished the lap, getting off of her D-Wheel and blowing kisses off to what remained of the crowd. "I believe THIS will soon have me rivaling our 'Prince' very soon, as things should!"

Of course, none of the individuals still hanging around were interested in the idea. Zenshin and Keiro stepped out of the stands, but it was more so that they could console Kyoutaro, who slowly lumbered in on his D-Wheel, which was blockier in design than Ran's, almost tractor-like in design, and colored a humble dark brown.

"You okay, buddy?" Zenshin asked.

Kyoutaro looked at the two, surprised that they were comforting him instead of shaming him like he had expected. "I...suppose…" he managed at last, prompting Zenshin to pat him on the back.

Well, more like HIT him on the back, but Zenshin was known for not keeping his strength in check when being affectionate with others.

"You did good out there, man, really, you did." Keiro comforted. "You know what they say, when dueling a woman, always expect her to set a cheap monster-negation trap."

Kyoutaro blinked. "I, uh...don't think that they say that."

"Eh, it's just street logic when you're out on the streets." Keiro shrugged. "Proves true with Commons women at least. Trust me, Zenshin and I know from experience." He then turned to Ran, who had taken the opportunity to grab a bottle of ice-water to cool herself down. "And before we're all called in for the day...I'm going to be putting an end to your win-streak."

Ran looked at Keiro critically. "Oh, is that right?"

Keiro pushed his glasses into place. "If I wasn't right, I'd just send Zenshin or Hibiki in as bait. Maybe Sakura or Mizuki if I felt like it."

"OI, I HEARD THAT!" Mei cried in rage, holding Sakura to her protectively. "You can use Alice or Mizuki as bait all you want, but you ain't touching Sakura for your weird-ass schemes, you hear me!"

"M-Mei…" Sakura stammered, blushing from the close contact.

"I DIDN'T SIGN UP TO BE BAIT!" Hibiki called indignantly.

Ran rolled her eyes, and focused her attention on Keiro. "Alright then, big-shot. Let's go. You and me. If I beat you, that'll be the last win I need to get the Prince down here for an official duel."

"I could care less if you beat 'The Prince' or not." Keiro grumbled. "I just don't want to hear you bragging during homeroom or lunchtime. Hibiki's loud enough as it is. Your voice being added to that cacophony would tempt me to tear out my ears, and I kind of need those."

"Hmph, I suppose I'll indulge you then. Are you ready?" Ran asked.

Keiro nodded, but before he could turn to fetch a D-Wheel…

"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU ACADEMIA BASTARDS?!"

A voice that did not sound like Hibiki's rather loud-pitched vocalizations echoed through the dueling track. The voice was rough, and belonged to a tall male individual, just a few centimeters shorter than Kyoutaro. He wore a rough blue overcoat and red scarf, and had short dark-blue hair, with a wing-shaped bang covering it. His golden eyes sparked with rage as he stormed onto the track, glaring daggers at the students.

"Um...can we help you?" Zenshin asked hesitantly.

"My, my! You're quite dishy, aren't you?!" Ran cooed, gazing at Shun intently, her duel against Keiro forgotten.

Shun growled at how blase these students, all of whom looked his age give or take a year, were. Somehow, this ignorance angered him just as much as the regular Academia students.

"Which of you is first?" he growled. "I intend to slake my vengeance on you all here and now!"

The seven students turned and looked at each other blankly.

"What." they all asked.

"This IS Academia, isn't it?" Serena asked, having climbed atop of the steel bleachers so that she could get a good look at the enemy.

"Wh-where the hell did you come from, lady?!" Hibiki yelled, nearly falling in shock.

"U-um...yes?" Sakura squeaked as Mei protectively tightened herself around her.

"Then...you...shall...feel...the...oh wow, am I out of shape…" Shingo Sawatari gasped as he caught up to Shun, hands on his knees as he panted for air. "For...you...will...know...the heroics...of...gulp...SHINGo...Sawatari!"

The seven students turned and looked at each other blankly.

"What." they all asked.

"If you are seeking to engage our students in a duel, you must know that to avoid paperwork, a student must willingly accept your challenge while at least five other students are present." a voice tittered.

Everyone turned to see a girl with smooth, long blond hair walk onto the field, hands folded in command as she gave the three Lancers a critical glare.

"Oh, hey Hotaru!" Mei waved. "I thought you were gonna head back home!"

"Well, I noticed a commotion just when I was getting ready to leave, and so had to come." Hotaru huffed as she looked at the Lancers. "Now then, identify yourselves, if you please. It is common courtesy to do so around here."

"I'm-" Shingo began, but Keiro cut him off.

"We already heard you, 'Shingo Sawatari'." Keiro drawled. "And to be honest, we don't care! Or at least _I_ don't care!"

"Wha-wh-huh?" Shingo spluttered before Shun shoved him aside to burn a hole in Hotaru with his eyes.

"My name is Shun Kurosaki." he growled. "Your comrades destroyed my home, stole the futures of my loved ones, and kidnapped my sister. I am here to deliver JUSTICE onto all of you!"

"...What did you do, Keiro?" Zenshin asked, putting his hands on his hips as he gave the blue-haired boy a disappointed look.

Keiro gave his companion a flat stare. "Why would you assume I have anything to do with the crazy hobo's story? He's like that weirdo we saw a few months ago who painted animals and shapes all over his skin, stripped naked, and went around professing that life was meaningless and that the end was near before he jumped off a bridge."

"Exactly! You think they're related?"

"...You're just trolling me right now, aren't you?"

"Maybe." Zenshin smirked playfully.

"Quiet, both of you." Hotaru snapped, causing the two to zip their mouths. Kyoutaro, though still clueless, gestured over to the stands, feeling awkward to be in the middle of this strange oddity. His friends silently agreed, and the three quickly strode off to the side.

Hotaru looked at the stands, where Serena leaned against the railing. "And you are?"

"My name is Serena." the red-jacketed girl answered.

...

"...That's it?" Hibiki asked after a few moments of silence.

"What, did you expect me to say more?" Serena questioned, confusion quite apparent in her face.

"I mean, yeah...that's kind of the whole package-deal with the whole 'dramatic entrance' thing. You gotta have more flair, you know!" Hibiki explained, crossing his arms and making a dual sign of his hands that Serena did not about in the slightest. "It makes sure that everyone knows your name! I mean, at least your tall, dark, and scary friend over there did the whole 'You Killed My Father' thing!"

"...Why are you giving the crazy people who trespassed onto campus, advice?" Mei asked, looking at Hibiki as if he had gone crazy. Well, crazier, considering who Hibiki was.

"It's the principle of the thing!" Hibiki pointed out confidently, causing Mei and Keiro to roll their eyes.

"SHUT UP!" Shun roared, offended by the blaise attitude and ignorance of the Synchro Academia students. "One of you, step forward right now, I don't care who. I'll begin my revenge by crushing you all as I please!"

"Oh, my!" Ran laughed. "How direct! If you want a challenge, I'll take you on!"

Keiro looked at Ran incredulously. "Yes, let's take up the mentally unstable school duelist's challenge, that'll DEFINITELY not backfire on us!"

"Keiro, silence!" Hotaru commanded, giving Shun a hard stare of her own as she looked the blue-coated stranger over critically. "Your challenge seems to have been accepted." she said at last. "Follow me, and I'll give you a D-Wheel and riding suit."

"Fine." Shun said. "I don't care what conditions you throw at me, I'll still come out victorious."

"Uh, it's not a condition dude!" Zenshin called. "It's just that we're on a track and we've got D-Wheels lying around, so y'know, kind of OBVIOUS to have a Riding Duel!"

"Oi, what about us?" Serena asked. "I thought we were going to have a chance to fight."

"Yeah!" Shingo chimed in, turning to face the Academia students. "After all, I'm sure I can-"

Mei glared at Sawatari, a look of pure loathing evident in her face. The rather extroverted duelist felt his bravado evaporating as Mei's scorn burrowed into him, a withering gaze that was slowly removing his will to fight. Sawatari gulped mid-sentence, and quietly allowed himself to trail away, whistling innocently in the process.

"Well…" Hotaru murmured, looking at the stands, before glancing at Keiro, who gulped realizing that Hotaru had already singled him out. "I suppose I can stretch curfew for one more match…"

"Out of the question!" Shun hissed. "The only one here who needs to duel is me!"

Serena's eyes twitched in annoyance. This was the last straw for her. Shun had been rather aggravating all day for her. Not because of his temper or tendency to attack others (since Serena could hardly call him out when she had already used similar tactics), but more for the fact that he kept on blocking Serena's view, or restricting her movements, neither of which were actions she particularly appreciated.

"The hell does that mean?! I didn't come here to just sit around all day!" she growled.

"You and Sawatari can just sit there." Shun huffed. "I can take these people on myself."

"Ohhh, big words there." Zenshin sneered.

"Doesn't answer my question! I'm up next after you!"

"NO!"

"Fuck you!"

"JUST SIT DOWN AND STAY THERE, RURI!" Shun roared, his words echoing over the track.

Silence took hold of the field with those words, Serena seething as the reasoning for Shun's behavior became clear.

"I'm not Ruri." She hissed quietly. "Don't you even think of talking to me the way you talk to her. I'm not your sister, got it?"

"...No...you're not." Shun replied, and stormed away.

Serena watched as Hotaru managed to keep pace as she followed after the Xyz user, seemingly unaffected by Shun's outburst. But hearing Ruri's name immediately caused Serena to seethe. She had heard of her counterpart's name before, but she was not Ruri. She hadn't even met Ruri while in Academia, and while Serena was for the most part privately tutored instead of having access to the public curriculum, she generally had free-reign over Academia as long as it was supervised...and that was the thing: Being supervised and coddled disgusted her, and while deep down, she suspected that Shun's reasoning was infinitely more benign than whatever the Professor had planned, it still angered her to be treated that way.

An air of unease came across the nine duelists, with all eyes focused on Serena, except for Shingo's, who was still afraid to face Mei. After a few moments of silence, Zenshin coughed and looked at the new arrival.

"Um, so...I thought your name was Serena?" he asked. "Who's Ruri?"

Serena looked at Zenshin, before rubbing her temples. "It's...complicated, I think?" she grumbled.

"Well, we've got some time before Hotaru comes back!" he whistled, jumping back into the stands. "I'd love to hear about where you guys came from!"

"I don't!" Keiro chimed in as he and Kyoutaro followed Zenshin onto the bleachers.

"Ugh…" Serena groaned. "I...don't know how to best put it...but...Shun's little sister basically looks like me. Is that enough?"

"Ah, psychological projection, got it." the orange-haired boy said, waving his hand dismissively. "Say no more."

"What about where you came from?! I'd like to hear you say more about it!" Hibiki cawed.

"Oh, you don't know!" Shingo put in, forehead beading with sweat as he was afraid to look up at Mei, but trying to re-project an air of coolness and sauve. "We're the Lancers, a heroic force of warriors of justice from another Dimension, here to vanquish the evil Academia!"

"If you're here to rip out Ran's tongue, I take back 43% of my negative thoughts about you, and give you full permission to do so." Mei growled, causing Shingo to flinch.

"Hey!" Ran protested from the track.

"Oh no, you see, we're here to vanquish YOU, the evil Synchro branch of Academia, to stop you from taking over all four Dimensions!" Shingo proclaimed, turning around to point at the gathered students, though he still kept his eyes shut so as to not to look at the black-haired girl.

But instead of hearing the screams of disbelief at being found out, or learning that the 'Hero of Justice' had arrived, the response to Shingo's declaration was a unified...

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Shingo blinked, looking up…

To see Mei once again trying to burn a hole in his skull with her eyes, causing the Abyss Actor duelist to freeze up. As such, it was up to Serena to ask a question...one that reminded her of how she and Barrett had arrived in Standard...and made a very similar mistake to the one that she suspected that they had made just now.

"...Do...do any of you know about the other dimensions?" she asked. "Or the interdimensional war?"

"I know of Eighth-grader syndrome!" Keiro chimed in.

"What's that?" Serena asked.

Keiro opened his mouth, only for Zenshin to put a hand on his friend's shoulder, silently telling him to not talk anymore. "Uh...let's...not get into that." he chuckled nervously. "Um, I've heard of all kinds of urban rumors, like the Showman, the Duelist Crusher, the Shadowman, all that good stuff, but never other dimensions unless we're talking about anime or comic books."

"...You don't know anything then." Serena sighed.

"Yeah, I don't know jack-shit about what you're talking about." Zenshin confirmed, to which everyone else present nodded.

Serena buried her face in her hands, before looking up. "Then I guess we'll have to leave this to Shun after all.." she muttered. "Once you see his dueling, our story will make a lot more sense. Sawatari, get up here."

"B-but…" Shingo stammered.

"Just get up here!" Serena growled, focusing her own glare, like that of an angry panther, right at Sawatari, who gulped and quickly ran up the stairs, taking a seat next to Serena, but as far away from Mei as possible.

"Please…" Keiro snorted once the two Lancers had settled onto the stands. "I'll believe your nonsense when I see it."

The roaring of a D-Wheel engine then began to echo in the distance. Shortly afterwards, Shun Kurosaki, riding a D-Wheel, stormed onto the starting line, right next to Ran. The D-Wheel he had been given was quickly identified as one of the mass-produced standard-issued models, albeit with a purple paint job, while Shun himself wore a dark-blue and green Riding Duel suit, but maintaining his usual red scarf.

Hotaru walked up to the start line, having picked up a tablet on her way. "This will be a standard-issue Riding Duel. You will win only by reducing your opponent's LP to zero. If a D-Wheel goes off course due to outside interference, the duelist who engaged that interference will be automatically disqualified. There are Real Solid Vision Limiters in place to ensure that the damage dealt to the track is at a minimum. Also, due to...how this duel has been engaged, the rules dictate that Ran Kobakayawa will be taking the first move by default. Is that understood?"

"Of course!" Ran chirped, putting her dark-green helmet back on, while Shun remained silent at the starting line, focusing on the track.

"Good." Hotaru nodded, walking over to the stands, before looking up at Hibiki. "If you would, please." she said to the blond-haired duelist.

Hibiki grinned broadly, and pulled out a microphone from his uniform, causing Keiro, Mei, Sakura, Serena, and Sawatari to widen their eyes, whether it be from surprise or dread, stepping forward and pointing at the racers. "GEEEETTTT READY RACERS!"

A holographic countdown timer emerged above the duelists, each of them revving up the engines of their D-Wheels.

**3...2...1…**

" _ **RIDING DUEL…"**_

**GO!**

" _ **ACCELERATION!"**_

**DUEL!**

**SHUN LP: 4000**

**RAN LP: 4000**

"You heard the girl, ladies first, good sir!" Ran winked as she sped up, taking the lead from Shun. "I take the first move, and I'll start by summoning _Orchid Moth_!"

An angry looking green moth-like creature, whose abdomen was shaped like a small bouquet and whose wings were a soft velvet white, flew onto the field, staying close to its master.

**Orchid Moth/WIND/Level 4/Insect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000**

Mei looked at Ran in disbelief once she heard the words 'good sir'. "...Uh, were you even _listening_ to all of the drama from a few minutes ago?" she called.

"Oh I heard," Ran said dismissively. "But in a duel, that is irrelevant! Here's something that IS relevant! _Orchid Moth's_ effect! I discard 1 card to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Insect monster from my Deck! I'll discard my _Orchid Honeybee_ , and with that, Special Summon the Level 1 Tuner monster, _Orchid Ladybug!_ "

A blood-red ladybug with blue dots decorating its shell hopped onto the field, following the lead of Ran and Orchid Moth.

**Orchid Ladybug/EARTH/Level 1/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100**

"When _Orchid Ladybug_ is summoned, I can have it copy the level of 1 Insect monster in my GY, then, if I should use an 'Orchid' monster for this effect, I am also allowed to draw 1 card! For this purpose, I will target the Level 3, _Orchid Honeybee_ , in my GY!"

**Orchid Ladybug/Level 3**

Back at the stands, Hibiki stood up. "NO WAY! Already, Ran is bringing out one of her signature monsters, and-"

"NO!" Keiro roared, ripping Hibiki's microphone out of his hands and tossing it over to Hotaru, who caught it and immediately slipped it into her uniform. "I am NOT listening to any more nonsense today, especially if it has to be on max volume!"

"Come on, man, at least my commentary has class unlike that bimbo tabloid reporter!" Hibiki complained.

"Unfortunately Hibiki, until the duel is over, your microphone will remain confiscated." Hotaru confirmed calmly, leaving the spiky-blond duelist to sulk as the duel continued.

As three of Orchid Ladybug's spots lit up, Ran drew her card, and smirked at what she had drawn. "And now, I tune the Level 4 _Orchid Moth_ with the now-Level 3 _Orchid Ladybug_!"

Ladybug's form faded into three green Synchro Rings, with Orchid Moth flying through them, body turning translucent as four stars emerged, before a pillar of light blasted through the formation.

" _Flying through the air, defend the flowers with your wings in a deadly embrace! Synchro Summon! Appear now! Level 7,_ _ **Orchid Cloaked Bombyx**_ _!"_

A massive moth-like creature, with thick white wings that looked, for a moment, that they were made from feathers like a bird, flew onto the field. The moth flew atop Ran, looking down at Shun with disinterest.

**Orchid Cloaked Bombyx/WIND/Level 7/Insect/Synchro/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1600**

"I'll also be using the effect of the _Orchid Honeybee_ in my GY, as if I should Synchro Summon an Insect monster whilst she is there, I can re-add the card to my hand!"

"Hmph, then it means a net loss of zero in your hand." Shun noted grimly.

"Yes, quite!" Ran laughed. "I now set three cards face-down to end my turn!"

"Hmph, my turn, I draw!" Shun said, ripping a card out from his deck, taking careful notice of Ran's field. His only reference for dealing with Synchro duelists were those from LDS, and their plays focused solely on combos to bring out as many Synchros on the first turn, only using Spells and Traps to give a minor boost to their forces, which could easily be wiped out on the next turn. Ran however, was clearly conserving her resources, wanting to see what Shun would do on his turn. Despite her attitude, it was clear that she had set up a fairly strong defense…

But Shun was most certainly not a believer in any defense being 'absolute'.

"I summon _Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius_!" he declared.

A large red mechanical bird with four green eyes and a sword-shaped beak flew onto the field, cawing loudly.

**Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1000**

"At this moment, I activate the effect of my _Sharp Lanius_! Once per turn, during the turn he was summoned, I can put your monster into Defense Position! Claw Subdue!"

Sharp Lanius flew over to Orchid Cloaked Bombyx, sinking its claws into the massive moth's wings. The giant insect struggled at first, but eventually had to shift into a defensive stance.

"Next, I activate the effect of the _Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius_ in my hand! Since I control a 'Raidraptor' monster, I can Special Summon him from my hand! Come for-"

"Not so fast!" Ran interrupted. "I use the effect of the _Maxx "C"_ in my hand! By discarding it, each time you Special Summon a monster, I am allowed to draw 1 card!"

"You what?!" Shun spat in shock as a swarm of black cockroaches swarmed around his field, manifesting around the small dark-colored mechanical bird, who, while successful in driving them off, had now benefitted the enemy as she drew a new card.

**Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 1500**

"I think I'll also take the moment to activate this Continuous Trap, _Orchid Reaping_! If I don't control an Insect monster, this card will be destroyed, but so long as I do have it, you will take 200 damage each time either of us adds a card from the Deck or GY to our hand!" Ran laughed. "So here's my greetings, handsome!"

Shun growled in anger as two enormous phantasmal mantis-arms swiped at him, reducing his LP.

**SHUN LP: 3800**

"This isn't good…" Serena muttered. "If Ran gets a card each time Shun Special Summons, he'll also take damage...and if Ran can fill up her hand again, she'll be able to mount a counter-attack if Shun can't finish her off on this turn...but if Shun doesn't Special Summon, his monsters will get picked off one-by-one…"

"Yup, that's the terror of Maxx "C"." Zenshin whistled. "Really nasty handtrap. It's even worse in Ran's hands because her deck can search that thing out easy. If Shun isn't careful, Ran's going to wipe him out next turn."

"You, stop explaining things to the people who pretty much said that they came here to kill us." Keiro ordered.

"It's fine, Keiro." Hotaru said calmly. "He's just trying to get to know them."

Keiro shot a look at Serena and Sawatari. The girl, yes, he felt that getting to know her wouldn't be a terrible experience owing to her seeming the most sane of the lot...but Sawatari and Shun were not exactly people he'd be thrilled to be spending time with. Serena, for her part, glared back, causing Keiro to refocus his attention to the duel.

"Your trap doesn't scare me!" Shun roared. "I'm continuing my turn! I activate the Continuous Spell, _Raidraptor - Nest_! This will allow me to add 1 'Raidraptor' monster from my Deck or GY to my hand, so long as I control 2 or more 'Raidraptor' monsters! Through this effect, I add _Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius_ from my deck to my hand!"

"Then you can enjoy 200 damage!" Ran laughed.

**SHUN LP: 3600**

"Now, I overlay the Level 4 _Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius_ and _Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius_ and build the overlay network!" Shun growled, raising a fist in the air.

Ran blinked at the unfamiliar term. "O-overlay network?!" she spluttered.

Shun's two birds transformed into thick streams of purple energy of differing shades, flying through the air until a galaxy-like portal opened up in front of him. The two streams coalesced and entered the portal, with a massive burst of blue energy emerging in the process.

" _Proud dark eagle, in the night rend the enemy with shadows, and call forth our allies to destroy them! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 4,_ _ **Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle**_ _!"_

A new mechanical bird swooped down onto the field, being twice as large as Shun's previous monsters, large plate wings flapping ferociously. The monster's color scheme was a mix of red and blue, with two pairs of vertical black eyes on its head, from where a yellow beak from which flames sparked forth, emerged. The monster let loose a fearful shriek, indicating its intention to destroy that which was in front of it, as two orbs of purple light circled around it.

**Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle/DARK/Rank 4/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1600**

"X-Xyz Summon?" Kyoutaro breathed. "What on earth is that? I've never heard of it before!"

"Looks like you and I are in the same boat then!" Hibiki bellowed. "I don't know WHAT that guy just did either!"

"Now do you believe us?" Serena asked.

"No." Keiro replied.

Serena scowled, ignoring the blue-haired teen's input, and continued with her explanation. "The universe is divided into four Dimensions: Standard, Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz. Each Dimension is based on the summoning technique they use. Standard is not bound to any technique, while the other three dimensions are, well...based exactly as they're said. Since this is the Synchro Dimension, you all obviously use Synchro monsters. Shun is from the Xyz Dimension, and so he uses Xyz Monsters."

"I'd love to agree with Keiro that that's a load of baloney...but then again…" Mei muttered, looking at Shun's monster. "Can't really argue with what's in front of me."

"So what Dimension are _you_ from then?" Zenshin asked Serena.

Serena paused, as if wondering what to say. Shingo opened his mouth, but Serena quickly covered it. "I'm from the Fusion Dimension. If you want proof, then here it is."

And she pulled out her main monster: _Lunalight Cat Dancer,_ for everyone to see as they gazed at the purple card.

"Proof enough for you?" she asked as she put her ace back.

The students paused, looked at each other, and then back on the track, eyes unsteady as they tried to digest information that was actually true, yet incredibly overwhelming. The only one of them whose eyes were now completely focused, and whose mind was clear, indicating that she had taken the information in with relative ease, was Hotaru, who narrowed her eyes at Shun and his monster.

Ran looked at Shun's monster, sweating from seeing such an unfamiliar foe, but then realized that even if she wasn't familiar with the technique that Shun used, she could still benefit. "Well, I must admit, I didn't expect a monster like that, but _Maxx "C"'s_ effect is still active, so now I draw a card, and you take 200 more points of damage!"

**SHUN LP: 3400**

"This is nothing." Shun grunted as he examined Ran's hand, now up to three cards. "No matter how many cards you draw or scratches you inflict on me, I will never give up! _Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle's_ effect! If it was Xyz Summoned using 'Raidraptor' monsters as material, it gains 300 ATK for each! I used two, so that's 600 more ATK!"

**Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle/ATK: 2400**

"I also activate his effect! By detaching 1 Overlay Unit, I am allowed to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Winged-Beast monster from my hand or GY! Flock to me now! _Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius_!"

One of the purple orbs detached from its orbit, gently landing in Shun's hand before dissipating, causing the card it had touched to glow purple. Shun plucked the card out of his hand, and slammed it into his duel disk.

What emerged was a blue-and-white mechanical lanius, whose wings were adorned with thick, white-colored rocket boosters, making it seem more like a plane than a bird. Several blue-colored metallic feathers joined the monster in flight, as it stormed alongside Shun's Xyz monster.

**Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 400**

"Also, _Fuzzy Lanius'_ second effect. Since it was sent to the GY, I add another copy of it from my Deck to my hand."

"That's perfectly fine!" Ran said, even though she didn't completely get how Shun's monsters were working. "I get to draw another card thanks to your summoning that monster, and you will be taking a total of 400 damage from all the cards that were added!"

**SHUN LP: 3000**

" _Tribute Lanius'_ effect activates next!" Shun roared, brushing aside the mantis arm-ghosts. "I send a 'Raidraptor' card from my Deck to the GY! I choose to send _Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius_! With that, I activate the effect of _Mimicry Lanius_! I banish it from my GY to add a 'Raidraptor' card from my Deck to my hand, and the card I choose is _Raidraptor - Reserve Unit_!"

"You're just going to take more damage." Ran noted.

**SHUN LP: 2800**

"I'm willing to take more to build up the resources I need!" Shun hissed. "I activate _Raidraptor - Reserve Unit_! I detach an Overlay Unit from my 'Raidraptor' Xyz Monster to draw 2 more cards!"

"Hmm...you're lucky that _Orchid Reaping_ doesn't accumulate damage." the green-suited riding duelist commented as Shun drew his cards, ignoring yet another swipe of the phantom mantis limbs that came his way.

**SHUN LP: 2600**

"Now, I equip _Infernal Eagle_ with the spell card, _Brave Claw Revolution_! A monster equipped with this card gains 500 ATK for each Special Summoned monster on the field!" Shun declared. "We have three monsters right now, so that's 1500 more ATK!"

Infernal Eagle shrieked as it became coated in flames, rising into the air, glaring at its master's enemies.

**Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle/ATK: 3900**

"Oh my…" Ran whisphered.

"...She's not worried about this at all, is she?" Serena asked with dread.

"Nope…" Mei sighed. "Ran's already set up her field in advance. If this guy's gonna try brute-forcing his way through to get to her, he's gonna get bitten."

"BATTLE!" Shun roared. " _Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius,_ destroy _Orchid Cloaked Bombyx!_ "

The blue jet-lanius shot forward, tearing right through the giant moth like paper. Shun at this point expected Ran to panic that her field was wide open. If his combo worked, she would take 4400 points of damage. But Ran wasn't panicking at all. Instead…

She smirked.

" _Orchid Cloaked Bombyx's_ effect! When it is destroyed, I Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster from my GY, with the caveat that YOU will be taking whatever battle damage I would take in a battle involving that monster!"

"WHAT?!" Shun gasped.

"Return to us, my precious _Orchid Ladybug_!" Ran sang.

The large ladybug returned, emerging from a graveyard portal, turning to look at Shun, glowing with a white aura.

**Orchid Ladybug/EARTH/Level 1/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100**

"And I will have it target my _Orchid Moth_ to not only become Level 4, but also grant me another card, which grants _you_ with 200 more points of damage!"

**SHUN LP: 2400**

"In that case, I use the effect of my _Tribute Lanius,_ where I can add 1 'Rank-Up Magic' Quick-Play Spell from my Deck to my hand! I add _Rank-Up Magic Battle Force_!" Shun roared.

"You're still willing to take all of this damage?" Ran asked quietly.

**SHUN LP: 2200**

"I'm continuing with the battle phase! Go, _Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle,_ attack _Orchid Ladybug_!" Shun declared.

"Have you gone mad?!" Ran gaped.

"No!" Shun replied. "I activate _Rank-Up Magic Battle Force_! This card will take one battling Xyz Monster, and Rank it up into an Xyz Monster of the same Type! I'll use this on my _Infernal Eagle_!"

 _"Ferocious falcon. Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5!_ _**Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon** _ _!"_

Just as Infernal Eagle swooped down to attack the small ladybug, it instead flew upwards into the sky, transforming into a stream of purple energy. The sky thundered as the red silhouette of a bird-like creature began to take shape, shrieking as it flexed its wings, revealing a new mechanical bird with longer wings covered in jet-protrusions, red-and-black armor covering its body, and a total of eight green eyes, four on each side of its eye where two eyes would have sufficed.

**Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon/DARK/Rank 5/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000**

Ran looked at the monster, puzzled. "Do you intend to lessen the battle damage or use the replay rule to cancel your attack?"

"Before that, _Brave Claw Revolution's_ other effect." Shun put in. "If the monster it was equipped to is used as material for an Xyz Summon, I can attach my Equip Spell onto that monster instead of sending it to the GY!"

With that, two new purple orbs circled around Blaze Falcon, fully armed and dangerous.

"Now, the effect of _Blaze Falcon_ , he can attack you directly! Go!" Shun ordered.

"Don't forget that you still Special Summoned, so I draw a card and take out another 200 of your LP!" Ran said.

**SHUN LP: 2000**

"I will also activate the Trap card, _Yellow Alert!"_ Ran revealed, unveiling one of her face-down cards. "If I am being attacked directly, this card will Special Summon a monster from my hand to shield me! And thanks to you, I've managed to draw a total of five cards to replenish my hand! So your monster will now be attacking my _Orchid Butterfly_!"

A simple butterfly with emerald wings flew onto the field, graceful as could be…

**Orchid Butterfly/WIND/Level 3/Insect/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 1500**

Only for Blaze Falcon to smack into the monster, instantly turning it into ash.

**RAN LP: 4000**

"Why didn't you take any damage?!" Shun demanded.

" _Orchid Butterfly_ negates any battle damage I would take." Ran winked. "Also, when it is sent to the GY, I am allowed to add 1 'Orchid' monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose my glorious servant, the _Orchid Mantis_! And with that, YOU will now be taking 200 more damage! Savor it!"

"Grrr…." Shun growled.

**SHUN LP: 1800**

"GAH! She drained out more than half of Shun's LP on his own turn!" Sawatari spazzed out.

"So this is the strength of the Synchro Dimension's duelists…" Serena muttered to herself as the two riders sped past the stands on their next lap.

"My turn's not over yet!" Shun roared. "On my Main Phase 2, I activate the effect of _Blaze Falcon_! I detach 1 Overlay Unit to destroy all of your Special Summoned monsters, inflicting 500 damage to you for each! Not only that, but since I'm detaching _Brave Claw Revolution_ , I can destroy one of your Spell/Traps as well! In this case, I'm getting rid of your other face-down!"

"...Clever…" Ran admitted as her last set card vanished in a puff of flames.

Several feather-like protrusions detached from Blaze Falcon, each firing lasers at Ran's field...but unfortunately, with only one small target to hit that was instantly destroyed, they soon deactivated. Not that they would've done more damage. Shun grimaced seeing how the apparent limiters installed in the D-Wheel's dueling system meant that he could no longer inflict as much damage as he wanted, and he cursed himself for simply following Hotaru to the garage where the D-Wheels were kept without checking them first.

Still, at least he'd finally inflicted damage on Ran.

**Ran LP: 3500**

"It took you this long, big boy?" Ran teased. "I barely felt that!"

"Shut up!" Shun spat. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn! With that, your _Orchid Reaping_ card is destroyed without any Insects to support it!"

Ran shrugged as her trap card disappeared. It had already served its purpose. Thanks to Shun's reckless plays, her hand had been filled up to a comfortable six-cards. Her field was bare, yes, but with so much card advantage and Shun's turn complete, a comeback was guaranteed.

"My turn, I draw!" she declared, eyes lightning up at the card she drew. "I must say, thank you for letting this card find its way to me. I activate the spell card, _Orchid Repopulation_! It lets me add up to 2 Insect monsters whose DEF are less than 1500 from my GY to my hand, and of course, I'll be taking back my _Maxx "C"_ and _Orchid Moth_!"

"She's got eight cards in her hand…" Sawatari groaned.

"Hmm…" Ran hummed to herself as she studied her hands. Then...she laughed. "Ohohoho! Prepare yourself handsome! On this turn, you will see how I, Ran Kobakayawa, shall be the one to take the title of 'Prince' and make it into the far better sounding 'Queen'! OHOHOHO!"

"...In your dreams…" Hotaru muttered angrily.

"What was that?" Zenshin asked, as being the closest one to Hotaru, he thought he'd heard her say something.

"N-nothing! It was nothing!" Hotaru claimed, waving her hands around, before quickly recomposing herself. "Let us just see how this...duel progresses…"

And so the spectators watched anxiously. Serena and Shingo, who were mystified by the duel in front of them, seeing Shun struggle against a single opponent in a way that not even the Obelisk Force had managed, the students of the Academia that had no idea that there was another that shared their name in another dimension...even though that was no coincidence, and of course, a certain individual who was watching a series of unknown factors duke it, effecting an air of calm when in reality there was much reason to panic...

* * *

"Where did Hotaru run off to?" an individual muttered to herself.

She had short lavender hair and a white uniform, quite different from the reds and blues that most students at Academia wore, which came with a rather large red carnation buttoned onto it, as well as green trim in place of the white that the standard-issue uniform had. Of course, it was hard for most to tell that she was a girl, owing to a rather low bust that some fourteen-year olds could outmatch.

Hence why she was called 'The Prince', despite being female. Of course, the top-duelist at Academia was allowed to pick what their title would be, and that was what Celeste had chosen when she had obtained the top-rank, and it was a title that she had worked to defend ever since.

But right now, her main concern was where Hotaru, the girl who had personally taken up the title of 'Knight', keeping back most duelists who tried to insist on dueling Celeste to take her title, was currently located. They had just finished talking with Principal LeBlanc, when Hotaru had noticed a message on her duel disk, and ran down the hallways without another word.

Quite obviously, Celeste was worried. Was it family troubles? Hotaru had confided in those before when the two were alone. Or was it something else?

Then, as The Prince exited the main building, wondering where to find her Knight…

The sight of several Security officers, totaling six in total, all of them male, was beholden to her. There was nothing that really stood out concerning their appearances, though their body masses differed, with two of them being significantly more muscular than the other four, who were the same height with only minor differences in body mass. The largest one took notice of Celeste, left his D-Wheel behind at the parking lot, and strode up to her.

"Excuse me ma'am, but we received a notification about dangerous suspects entering the campus. Have you seen anything unusual?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Um…" Celeste murmured, wetting her lips. "No...though there may still be some students over at the practice track, that's all perfectly normal."

The officer sighed. "It's as good a lead as any. Come on boys!"

The six officers then ran into the campus, with Celeste watching them...and then, as if by instinct, felt herself wanting to follow them. Her mind connected the dots about the 'suspicious individuals' and the message Hotaru had received. Or maybe it was just her being paranoid. Still, it was as good a lead as any…

And with that, she found herself running after the officers, all of them headed for the same place…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author-Made Cards
> 
> COMING NEXT EPISODE!
> 
> Well, THAT'S a lot of stuff going on. I promised you all that I'd have stuff happening in the chapter, and I do hope I've delivered. Still experimenting with lengths and plot cutoffs though, so do bear with me.
> 
> (It's also because of this that I'm burnout and not in the mood to do the Author-Made cards section today. Since the duel concludes in the next chapter, that's where I'll profile them all. Hope you enjoyed Shun NOT using that garbage Rank 3 engine because FYI, he's not using them in this story at all, and if I flashback over to Episode 48/49, Wild Vulture will be replaced with Mimicry Lanius.)
> 
> NEXT TIME (Unless I find a different cutoff point in which case this next time becomes pointless): Shun and Ran's duel concludes? Who will be the victor? And later, Reiji, Tsukikage, and Reira start looking into the Synchro Dimension's power structure...where a mysterious man and his cat await...
> 
> -Epsilon Tarantula-


	4. The Workings of a City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last time, Shun was facing off against a 5Ds MANGA legacy character. Will he pull through? Will he lose? Will I be condemned for using obscure characters everyone forgot about? Will I ever get back to Garage Kids?
> 
> Let's find out!
> 
> Credit goes to Garrett once again for offering his Synchro Academy concept, and Donjusticia for the backbone of Reira's backstory.
> 
> I don't Yugioh, and I never will. Probably for the best, TBH. This will be the last chapter uploaded in quick succession. From this point onwards, all AO3 uploads will happen about 30 minutes - 24 hours after the FF.net upload.

_Dimension Dowsing - Present Swing_

_Episode 57: The Workings of a City_

**Duel Status**

**Current Turn: Ran Kobayakawa**

**RAN LP: 3500**

**Controls no monsters, has eight cards in hand, including Maxx "C", Orchid Moth, and Orchid Mantis**

**SHUN LP: 1800**

**Controls Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon, Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius, Raidraptor - Nest, and two Set cards, has three cards in hand, including Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius**

**Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon/DARK/Rank 5/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000, 1 ORU, Attack Position**

**Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 400, Attack Position**

Ran gave her hand a quick last-minute look, smiling broadly as her strategy came to mind. Shun's monsters had no inherent protection, judging from their stats. They were made solely for offensive purposes. It was his back row that was more worrying to Ran than anything else. Luckily, she had a way to deal with it if the need arose…

"I shall continue my turn by once again summoning _Orchid Moth_!" the green-suited rider announced.

The small green moth flew onto the field once again, flapping its wings steadily.

**Orchid Moth/WIND/Level 4/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000**

"And as you recall, I use its effect to discard a card and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster from my Deck! So, I'll discard my _Orchid Mantis,_ and Special Summon a second copy of the Tuner monster, _Orchid Ladybug_!"

A second ladybug with blue spots, identical to the first, flew onto the field to join its companion

**Orchid Ladybug/EARTH/Level 1/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100**

"Now then, handsome," Ran winked. "Last turn you destroyed one of my set cards, which, while normally that would be bad, isn't much of a problem for me! The instant an 'Orchid' monster is sent to the GY, the _Orchid Sting_ Trap in my GY re-sets itself onto my field, though it will be banished afterwards!"

Indeed, a graveyard portal opened, and the trap card revealed itself from the portal, before once again being set as if nothing had happened.

"And of course, by targeting the _Orchid Mantis_ in my GY, my monster's Level changes to match it, and since I targeted an 'Orchid' monster, I am allowed to draw another card!"

**Orchid Ladybug/Level 4**

"She has the means to Synchro Summon and still has so many cards in her hand…" Serena muttered to herself grimly as Ran's hand was maintained at seven cards.

"Here it comes…" Zenshin breathed as Ran raised a hand into the air. "Ran's ace monster…"

"I tune the Level 4 _Orchid Moth_ with the Level 4 _Orchid Ladybug_!" Ran declared, causing her monsters to line up in formation for the Synchro Summon; Orchid Ladybug turning into four green rings that stacked around Orchid Moth, who turned into four shining stars moments before a pillar of light burst through the formation.

" _The one who governs life and death, in the cycle of harvesting and planting, through your judgement, cut down the foe with inevitable certainty! Synchro Summon! Show yourself before us! Level 8,_ _ **Orchid Reaper Coronatus**_ _!"_

The light dissipated, revealing Ran's new monster. The students of the Synchro Academia were familiar with it, but the Lancers were not. The feminine grim-reaper mantis-lady towered above Shun, brandishing her scythe at his monsters, her mantis-like wings flexing and quivering with anticipation as she looked at the two birds hungrily, eager for the moment when she would destroy them.

**Orchid Reaper Coronatus/EARTH/Level 8/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100**

"When you summon that monster…" Shun growled. "I activate a trap! _Raidraptor - Target Flag_! I target your monster, and in doing so, I am allowed to draw 1 card and reveal it to you!"

Ran stared at a strange red symbol that etched itself onto the head of her monster, and taking a closer look at Shun's monsters revealed that this symbol, a stylized pair of armed crimson wings, was proudly displayed on all of them. She then looked at Shun, wondering what it was that he was planning to do by displaying his hand to her.

Shun drew his card, and then revealed it to Ran. "The card I drew is _Raidraptor - Rescue Lanius_ , a monster card. That means that once the targeted monster is destroyed, I am allowed to destroy all of the monster cards in your hand!"

"You're aiming for my _Maxx "C",_ aren't you?" Ran asked, raising an eyebrow at Shun, who refused to respond. "Hmm...I must say, that's actually quite clever! But I intend to defeat you before that ever becomes a possibility! First things first, I'm disposing of your other Set card! I activate _Night Beam_ to destroy your remaining face-down!"

Shun didn't flinch as a yellow laser blasted his other Trap to smithereens. He had seen the Spell card be used by both Academia's forces and the duelists of Heartland before and during the invasion, so he knew that he couldn't respond to it, nor was he surprised at it being a staple card in the Synchro Dimension as well. Anyways, the Trap that Ran had destroyed was more useful in the GY, anyways.

"Now then, for the finishing blow!" Ran exulted. "I use the effect of my _Orchid Reaper Coronatus_! I shuffle my glorious servant, _Orchid Mantis_ , into the Deck, so that Coronatus gains its effects and half of its ATK until your next turn ends! _Orchid Mantis'_ ATK is 1200, so _Coronatus_ gains 600 ATK!"

**Orchid Reaper Coronatus/ATK: 3000**

"Now then, for the finishing blow! The effect of _Orchid Mantis_ lets me discard any number of cards to inflict damage to you equal to the number of cards discarded x500! For this, I'll discard four cards for the sickle! Take 2000 damage!"

Coronatus rose into the air, flapping her wings calmly, before using said wings to deliver a flurry of strikes, sending four blades of energy at Shun.

"That's it, game over!" Shingo wept.

"From my GY, I activate the effect of _Raidraptor - Readiness_!" Shun countered. "Since I have 'Raidraptor' monsters in my GY, I can banish this card to make it so that I take no more damage this turn!"

"Nice try, handsome, but no." Ran smirked. "I activate my Counter Trap, _Orchid Sting_! I can activate it the turn it's set should I happen to control a Synchro monster! Whenever you activate a card or effect in response to my 'Orchid' monster's effect, I negate the activation of that card and banish it face-down! Ohohoho! It's over now!"

"It's never over!" Shun roared. "Since I control a 'Raidraptor' Xyz monster, I can use this card's effect from my hand! Counter Trap, _Raptor's Claw_! Similar to your card, _Raptor's Claw_ negates the effect of a card activating in response to a 'Raidraptor' card and destroys it!"

"There's still the matter of chain links to deal with!" Ran hissed. "By banishing the second _Orchid Ladybug_ from my GY, I can activate the Counter Trap _Orchid Regrowth_ from my GY, helpfully sent there thanks to _Coronatus_! When you activate a card effect while I control an 'Orchid' monster, I inflict 600 damage to you for each 'Orchid' monster I control and then draw 2 cards! Since I just control _Coronatus_ , that means you take 600 damage!"

"Oh come on!" Shingo groaned. "How many cards do you even NEED, lady?"

"That's Ran's dueling strategy for you." Mei shrugged. "She keeps the opponent on their toes and keeps biting at them. Your friend's actually pretty good if he's forced her to use a chain like that."

Serena observed Ran, then looked back at the other Synchro Academia students. They all seemed ignorant of the Inter-dimensional War, yet despite that ignorance, seemed to be skilled duelists, even if the only example so far was the green-suited blonde teen. Still, the question of how and why the Synchro Dimension had a Duel Academy kept nagging at her. If the students didn't know about the war, and they certainly seemed ignorant if Keiro's constant snide comments were of any indications...then why was it built? Was it a coincidence just like how she'd assumed that every Xyz user in Standard was with the Xyz Dimension? She was tempted to go with that...but then she was reminded of the ominous presence that had put their group on alert when they had first arrived in the Synchro Dimension less than three hours ago.

No...it couldn't be a coincidence...but then...what was the answer? She looked back at the duel, wondering if she would find it, or have even more questions...

Back to the duel, Shun growled as a cloud of gnats flew from a dark portal and swarmed around him. "GRAHHH!" He yelled. He swatted them away, but they kept coming back to sting him. Still, the Resistance duelist remained resolute. "That doesn't negate the other cards in the chain! My damage from your first effect still becomes zero!"

**SHUN LP: 1200**

"But with it, my hand is replenished once again!" Ran shot back. "Not to mention a new chain begins, as one of the cards sent to the GY was my _Orchid Bellbug_! When it is sent to the GY, I can add an 'Orchid' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand! I choose _Orchid Rejuvenation_!"

As Ran added the Spell card to her hand, she observed Shun's field. Even if the Raidraptor user wouldn't take damage this turn, Ran could still eliminate his monsters. She gazed at Shun, who glared at her hatefully. But even with that hatred twisting his rather long and smooth face, Ran could not find an ounce of desperation in it. She looked at her current hand, and smiled.

"Now then, I'll set two cards face-down…" Ran said, placing the cards onto the board. "And now...Battle Phase! _Orchid Reaper Coronatus_ , attack _Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon_!"

The mantis woman raised her scythe, and flew towards Blaze Falcon, fully intending to tear the bird to pieces...but…

"You won't get me that easily!" Shun countered. "I activate the effect of the _Raidraptor - Booster Strix_ in my hand! When you attack one of my 'Raidraptor' monsters, I banish this card from my hand to destroy the attacking monster!"

Suddenly, a small, blue armored owl with jets for feet flew in front of Blaze Falcon, before shooting itself at Coronatus and exploding on contact, killing the mantis woman instantly...but when the dust from the explosion settled, Shun's eyes widened as Ran didn't seem to be fazed that he had just killed her ace monster.

"Rrgh," he gritted out. " _Target Flag's_ effect! I check your hand and destroy any monsters among it!"

"In which case, I chain with _Orchid Rejuvenation_!" Ran exulted. "This Quick-Play Spell resurrects one 'Orchid' monster in my GY, so I will resurrect my _Orchid Cloaked Bombyx_!"

The enormous moth monster emerged, glaring angrily at Shun.

**Orchid Cloaked Bombyx/WIND/Level 7/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1600**

Ran then deposited the remainder of her hand into the GY, and looked up, smirking at Shun. "You know, in your panic to eliminate my _Maxx "C",_ you really set yourself up to fall!"

"What are you talking about?" Shun asked grimly.

"Ohohohoho! Behold!" Ran cackled, taking several cards out of her GY. "First, since _Orchid Firefly_ was sent from my hand to the GY, I am allowed to Special Summon it! Light my way now!"

A larger-than-normal firefly quietly flew onto the field, its wings tinged pink, but giving off an ominous blood-red glow…

**Orchid Firefly/FIRE/Level 2/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 200**

"Since I summoned _Orchid Firefly_ while I currently control another 'Orchid' monster, I can draw 1 card!" Ran revealed, drawing yet another card. "Next, _Orchid Spider's_ effect activates from my GY! The instant you went and destroyed my _Coronatus,_ my _Orchid Spider's_ effect activates! She is now Special Summoned from my GY, and whenever she is Summoned, I am allowed to add another 'Orchid' monster from my Deck to my hand!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sawatari gaped. "Shun destroys her monster, so she gets to bring out more of those flower bugs?!"

"Again, it's her strategy!" Hibiki explained loudly. "Ran's whole deal is constant combos. She doesn't give you a moment to breathe! Kyoutaro down there survived as long as he did because his deck's got natural ways to deal with Ran's GY manipulation and shut it down!"

"Um, well…" the tanned youth stammered. "I mean, it wasn't really anything…"

"How about we focus on the duel instead of blabbing about all of our strategies to total strangers?" Keiro remarked.

"Agreed." Mei said, keeping a hand on Sakura's shoulder, causing the girl to blush and continue to stay silent on the matter.

Meanwhile, on Ran's field, a large, white-and-pink crab spider hopped onto the field, mandibles twitching as it positioned itself at Shun's monsters, preparing to strike.

**Orchid Spider/DARK/Level 3/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 400**

"Before I can trigger my _Spider's_ searching effect, the effect of _Coronatus_ activates, where I can add yet another 'Orchid' card from my Deck to my hand! I add _Orchid Pheromone_ , and following that, I add _Orchid Dragonfly_!"

"Three cards in her hand just like that?!" Sawatari complained.

"Not only that…" Serena muttered darkly. "Look at her field…"

Shingo took a look at the dueling field...and realized to his horror that it was still the Battle Phase. "Oh crap!"

Ran pointed at Shun's monsters. "Go forth my glorious monsters! _Orchid Cloaked Bombyx_ , take your revenge on _Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius_! And after that, _Orchid Spider,_ take down his _Blaze Falcon_!"

The giant moth rose in the air, blowing a powerful gust of wind at Tribute Lanius. The bird struggled as the moth kept on flapping its wings, increasing the power of the winds, first from a heavy breeze, to a gust, and then finally, to a vortex that grew in power until hurricane force winds caused the mechanical bird to flap around helplessly as it was torn to pieces.

"Even if you destroy my monsters, I won't be taking any more damage this turn." Shun grunted.

"Ask me if that matters!" Ran cackled.

Orchid Spider was next, pouncing onto Blaze Falcon, who tried to shake the enormous creature off, but to no avail. Orchid Spider may have been a mere crab spider, but it seemed to have the strength of a Goliath tarantula as it sunk its fangs into Blaze Falcon, who slowly stopped struggling as the venom worked its way into the bird's system, before it dissolved, succumbing to the bite of the spider.

"Now then, we move on to my Main Phase 2, and here is where you will see the beauty of my deck, handsome!" Ran proclaimed.

Keiro buried his face in his hands. "Ran, he is trying to kill us, stop admiring his looks!"

"Oh come on, you don't think he's handsome?" Zenshin teased.

"...Why do I bother talking when you're around?" Keiro grumbled, running his hand down his face in exasperation, glasses nearly sliding down his nose.

Ran, of course, was ignoring the peanut gallery as she pumped a fist into the air. "I tune the Level 3 _Orchid Spider_ with the Level 2 _Orchid Firefly_!"

The monsters got into their Synchro formation, light flashing through the pillar…

" _Keeping track of the denizens of the great garden, make an exception if you would, and guide the souls in the night! Synchro Summon! Level 5,_ _ **Orchid Pomp-Mendica**_ _!"_

Ran's new monster slashed through the pillar of light. To Shun's surprise, she was actually rather short and human-looking, wielding a sickle-and-chain, while being dressed in green armor and mantis-wings on the back, covered in white spots, akin to a little girl's polka-dot pajamas. The bottom half of her face however, was covered by a mask designed to look like the jaws of a mantis, but her wide, green human-eyes and pink antenna-like hair somewhat diminished the fear factor.

**Orchid Pomp-Mendica/EARTH/Level 5/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1400**

And her stats really didn't seem threatening. That being said, Ran was confident as she continued her turn.

"Now, behold as my field becomes even more glorious!" she exulted. " _Orchid Pomp-Mendica's_ effect activates, as does _Orchid Honeybee_! _Orchid Spider,_ likewise, is banished due to how it was Special Summoned. But in the meantime, _Orchid Honeybee_ returns to my hand, while _Orchid Pomp-Mendica_ resurrects a Level 4 or lower Insect monster in my GY...which in this case, shall be my precious _Orchid Ladybug_!"

Shun watched as Ran placed the recurring monster back into her rejuvenated hand, as the ladybug tuner returned once again.

**Orchid Ladybug/EARTH/Level 1/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100**

" _Orchid Ladybug's_ effect can only be used once per turn." Ran admitted. "But now comes the second part of my _Pomp-Mendica's_ effect! Since I brought back an 'Orchid' monster, one monster in your GY is banished, and I think I'll be getting rid of your _Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon_!"

Shun stared at his GY wordlessly, seeing how his Xyz Monster vanished in a swirl of nothingness.

Serena for her part put a hand to her chin in thought, impressed by how fast Ran had adapted. It was the Synchro Duelist's first time facing Xyz Monsters, but she already knew that in order to stop Shun's Rank-Up Magic tactics, disabling the Xyz Monsters with the most appropriate Ranks was a major step. Serena didn't know if Shun had another copy of Blaze Falcon like how she made sure to have three copies of Lunalight Cat Dancer, or another Rank 5 similar to how Serena herself had Fusion monsters for each situation, but by all accounts, Ran's actions were sound, especially with how Shun's field was almost bare and his hand miniscule in comparison to Ran's.

"But the Synchro Summons don't stop there handsome!" Ran cackled. "I now tune the Level 5 _Orchid Pomp-Mendica_ with the Level 1 _Orchid Ladybug_ to Synchro Summon once again!"

Once again, Ladybug transformed into a green ring, looping around Pomp-Mendica, who transformed into five level stars, initiating yet another Synchro Summon.

" _Hiding within the graves of wilted plants, return life to the garden, and give strength to its denizens! Synchro Summon! Level 6,_ _ **Orchid Reaving Diabolica**_ _!"_

Ran's next Synchro monster was...significantly different in color compared to her previous monsters. The monster was a horribly thin woman, who seemed one step removed from being anorexic, covered in rusted brown armor, which Shun realized was meant to be stylized as dead leaves that covered a mostly black bodysuit that wrapped around her pale grey skin. Two sickle-shaped blades were dual-wielded in her hands, and her eyes were hidden by black shards that Shun realized made up a visor that covered most of her face, exposing only her fanged mouth.

**Orchid Reaving Diabolica/EARTH/Level 6/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000**

"Hmph, it's just a chain of Synchro Summons. Your tactic doesn't impress me." Shun scoffed.

Ran gave Shun a look, then proceeded to laugh. "Ohohohoho! Someone is confident! Then you clearly don't know what you're in for!"

"He really doesn't." Mei grimaced.

"When _Orchid Reaving Diabolica_ is Synchro Summoned, I am allowed to draw 2 cards, and then discard 1." Ran smirked, hand now back up to five cards.

"Is there a point to any of this?" Shun grumbled.

"Quite so!" Ran countered. "For when I discard _Orchid Honeybee_ , that will trigger the effect of the _Orchid Dragonfly_ in my hand! It is Special Summoned whenever I send an 'Orchid' monster from my hand or field to the GY, so now I will call it forth!"

A long, thin blue dragonfly flew onto the field, zipping around until it lined itself up in formation with Ran's other monsters.

**Orchid Dragonfly/WIND/Level 3/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1000**

"Next, at the price of only being able to summon Insect monsters for the rest of the turn, _Orchid Dragonfly's_ effect will activate to resurrect one Level 4 or lower 'Orchid' monster from my GY, thus bringing _Orchid Honeybee_ to the field at long last!"

A large, blue-green bee flew onto the field, buzzing contently besides its fellows, apparently in no rush, yet keeping pace with its mistress and comrades.

**Orchid Honeybee/WIND/Level 3/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1300**

" _Orchid Honeybee's_ effect activates!" Ran declared. "I shuffle an Insect monster from my GY into my Deck or Extra Deck, and if I do, I am allowed to draw 1 more card! With this, I return _Orchid Reaper Coronatus_ to the Extra Deck, and draw again!"

Back at the stands, Sawatari was speechless. He was no stranger to long Synchro-based combos, especially from the Synchro ace of LDS; Yaiba Todo, who was quite fond of long, LONG chains of summons to pull out large fields of Synchro monsters...yet Ran seemed even better than Yaiba was, having complete control over what and how many monsters to bring out, not to mention how she somehow managed to maintain five-to-six cards in her hand. How strong were the other Synchro duelists? Normally, he'd have loved to brag about LDS' reputation...but after the uh, 'warm' reception he'd received, a seed of fear had begun to sprout in his mind...and now the Abyss Actor duelist wondered if Shun could pull off a victory.

"Now then, the card that my _Coronatus_ put into my hand shall be the card that ensures her resurrection!" Ran announced. "I activate _Orchid Pheromone_ , which lets me add 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster from my Deck to my hand, and for this, I'll be adding my _Orchid Gnat_! Of course, I don't plan to keep him in my hand for long, for _Orchid Gnat_ can be Special Summoned while I control an 'Orchid' monster, though once he leaves the field, he will be banished! Fly onto the field!"

Ran's fifth monster appeared, being only half the size of Orchid Dragonfly and Orchid Honeybee. Shun took no further notice of the gnat's appearance, but did pay attention to its level compared to the other Main Deck monsters Ran controlled…

**Orchid Gnat/WIND/Level 2/Insect/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 100**

As it now meant that they summed up to eight.

"Once again, I Synchro Summon!" Ran exulted. "Return now, _**Orchid Reaper Coronatus**_ _!_ "

And just like that, Ran's ace monster returned, swinging her scythe as if she had never left at all, but now staring at Shun with an increased glare of hunger, as if she was desiring to devour him.

**Orchid Reaper Coronatus/EARTH/Level 8/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100**

" _Orchid Gnat's_ second effect is that once it is banished, I can discard 1 card to draw another, so I'll discard _Orchid Beetle_ for the cost!" Ran explained as she drew again. "This of course, gives my _Coronatus_ the fuel for her effect! I shuffle _Orchid Beetle_ into my Deck, which will give _Coronatus_ my _Beetle's_ effect, along with half of _Beetle's_ ATK, which in this case, means 500 more ATK!"

**Orchid Reaper Coronatus/ATK: 2900**

"Ohohoho!" Ran laughed. "I set two more cards face-down to end my turn!"

"Finally!" Shingo sighed in relief. "I thought she'd never get done."

"Be glad she drew traps instead of more monsters." Mei snorted, causing Shingo to flinch. "Otherwise this turn would've gone on even longer…"

"And we've all got stuff to do!" Hibiki put in with his usual loud volume.

Ran looked at her field, quite pleased with her set-up. _Orchid Cloaked Bombyx_ stood as a way to reflect damage and enable Ran to once again Special Summon a monster that could defend her, and if need be, reflect even more damage. _Orchid Reaving Diabolica_ , in addition to its draw effect, was also capable of boosting its ATK in battle by 100 for each Insect monster in Ran's GY, meaning that if Shun tried to attack it, he would be in for a nasty surprise. _Orchid Reaper Coronatus_ , in the meantime, had absorbed the defensive effect of _Orchid Beetle_ , that by discarding a card, Ran's monster could evade destruction and block out battle damage. Not only that, but she now had the power to choose Shun's battle targets, meaning she could just ram his monsters into _Bombyx_ if she wanted to.

Of course, this all played to her hand and backrow. Ran's hand included another copy of _Orchid Butterfly_ as well as another _Orchid Bellbug_ , which would enable her to search out more cards to prepare for the next turn if Shun attacked Coronatus. Even better, _Orchid Rejuvenation_ and _Urgent Tuning_ were face-down. The former would enable Ran to Special Summon all of the monsters that had been sent to her GY, and the latter would ensure another Synchro Summon. To help with this combo, Ran also had set _Re-Trap,_ which, for the small price of half of her LP, would reactivate _Orchid Reaping_ , meaning that Shun would have his LP whittled down again. Finally, as insurance, _Fiendish Chain_ was set face-down, waiting to nullify/weaken Shun's comeback.

Ran looked back at Shun, whose head indicated that while he was focusing on the track, his face was not directed at Ran herself. The girl sighed. Truly, he was a handsome man. She didn't fully grasp whatever it was that drove him...but it was oh so _fascinating_ that she wished to perhaps know more. Of course, her desire to defeat this strange duelist and his unusual summoning technique was just as great, if not greater. She wondered if he was internally debating about his potential loss…

"Well, it's your turn, handsome! Unless you wish to surrender?" Ran asked.

That did it. Shun whipped his face at Ran, who found herself flinching as she saw a terrifying expression on his face.

Pure, unbridled hatred and rage.

"Surrender?" Shun asked, his gruff voice echoing along the track. "Never. I swore long ago that I would never give up. I swore that I would save my comrades. I swore that I would destroy Academia, to avenge everyone who was thrown into the grave of cards that you all turned my home into! You're asking me to surrender? Why would I? I already have my formula for victory right here and now!"

Everyone present, somehow entranced by Shun's declaration (or perhaps disturbed and caught in fear by his zeal), stared as he put his hand atop his deck.

"ORE NO...TURN!" Shun roared, ripping the card from atop his deck with such force that Ran swore that she could feel the winds of the Riding Duel slam into her the way a falling tree trunk would.

Shun looked at the card he drew, grim scowl not changing a beat as he slammed it into his D-Wheel. "I activate the Spell card, _Raidraptor - Preemptive Strike!_ By discarding a 'Raidraptor' monster while I control no monsters, I can destroy all of your Spell/Traps, albeit taking 100 damage for each one!"

Ran's eyes widened. "M-my Trap cards!"

It wouldn't matter then, if she activated Re-Trap...Shun's top-decked spell would still destroy the card she put onto the field!

"I discard _Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius_ as the cost! Now take this! PREEMPTIVE STRIKE!"

Ran grimaced as a multitude of black laser blasters similar to the ones of Tribute Lanius and Blaze Falcon appeared behind Shun, firing into her field, destroying all of her face-down cards. Shun in turn, grunted as electricity shocked his body in a set of jolts. One jolt, two jolts, and so on and so forth until he had fully paid the price for his attack.

**SHUN LP: 800**

"Even though you destroyed all of my Traps, you've just put yourself into the red!" Ran protested. "I still have the upper hand!"

"Wrong!" Shun retorted. "Your defeat is assured now! Your cold, dull dueling tactics are nothing compared to those forged through real combat! I will show you how weak they are! I will show you the strength of the Resistance, and what awaits you the moment you even try stepping one foot in my Dimension!"

"Wait, Shun!" Serena called. "I don't think-"

"When _Fuzzy Lanius_ is sent to the GY, I add the third and final copy of itself from my Deck to my hand!" Shun declared, ignoring whatever protest Ruri was trying to say. "With that done, I Normal Summon _Raidraptor - Rescue Lanius!_ "

Shun's new monster was another lanius-esque robot monster, colored almost pure white, except there was an additional pair of large green talons hanging off of it, almost akin to a winch similar to those used on rescue helicopters, which, all likelihood, was exactly what the large bird was for as it swooped high to the air.

**Raidraptor - Rescue Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000**

"When _Rescue Lanius_ is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 'Raidraptor' monster from my GY! I choose to bring back _Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius_!"

Rescue Lanius lowered its claws into a dark portal, grasping the resuscitated form of Tribute Lanius. The blue mechanical bird squirmed out of its comrade's claws, pruning its wings with its long metal beak, before flying alongside.

**Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 400**

"With _Tribute Lanius'_ resurrection, I activate its effect and send a second copy of _Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius_ to the GY!" Shun shouted. "I then banish the second _Mimicry Lanius_ through its effect to add the Quick-Play Spell _Raidraptor - Flock_ from my Deck to my hand, and following that, I activate the effect of _Raidraptor - Nest_ once again, adding _Raidraptor - Stun Strix_ from my Deck to my hand!"

"Well, he's certainly managed a comeback, hasn't he?" Hotaru muttered to herself, already seeing the outcome of the duel.

"Finally, I use the last effect of _Fuzzy Lanius_ , Special Summoning it from my hand!" Shun announced, summoning the small black mechanical bird once again.

**Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius/DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 1500**

"Prepare yourself, you Academia bitch!" Shun hissed hatefully. "I overlay all three of my monsters!"

The three mechanical birds turned into streams of purple energy, flying into a galaxy portal, after which a pillar of energy burst from the ground.

 _"Obscured falcon, raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4!_ _**Raidraptor - Rise Falcon** _ _!"_

Several black jets, attached to wings in a manner similar to feathers, got into formation, warming up with blue exhaust energy. Large metal claws, glowing a grim shade of gunmetal grey and beige, flexed. A head with six red mechanical eyes, arranged in the pattern of a hexagon, seemed to activate. Finally, from the portal, the large destructive blue-green armored falcon emerged, thick blue wings stretched out wide, the two thin arms on its chest reaching outwards as it screeched an unholy cry.

**Raidraptor - Rise Falcon/DARK/Rank 4/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000**

"Only 100 ATK?" Keiro mused.

"What kind of super-OP effect do you guys wanna bet that big ol' bird has?" Zenshin asked everyone.

"I ain't taking that bet!" Hibiki retorted.

"Screw off." Mei growled.

Sakura and Kyoutaro merely gave each other a look, and chose to simply focus on the duel. Hotaru just kept her eyes trained on Rise Falcon, trying to anticipate whatever power it had. Serena had never seen Shun's main ace monster in action before, but Sawatari had from watching Shun's duel with Sora (which for some reason was a mandatory duel to watch for all LDS students), and he knew that the monster could be quite devastating.

"I activate _Rise Falcon's_ effect!" Shun roared. "I detach 1 Overlay Unit, and with that, _Rise Falcon_ gains ATK equal to that of all of the Special Summoned monsters my opponent controls!"

"ATK equal to all of my Special Summoned monsters?!" Ran spluttered in disbelief.

A purple orb shot from its orbit around Rise Falcon, bursting in the center of the formation of Ran's monsters. Red, blue, and yellow auras surrounded each of her monsters from lowest to highest ATK respectively, before flying into Rise Falcon, who screeched loudly as its body was enveloped by flames, which doubled, and then tripled in size and intensity as the Xyz monster's ATK rose.

**Raidraptor - Rise Falcon/ATK: 7300**

"7-7300 ATK?" Ran gaped, unable to form any other words.

"...So this is Shun's ace monster…" Serena said to herself.

"BATTLE!" Shun bellowed grandly. " _Raidraptor - Rise Falcon_ , fly and rend all of my enemies! **BRAVE CLAW REVOLUTION**!"

The flaming falcon rose into the air, before diving down at Ran's monsters, fully prepared to do exactly as its master commanded, and tear the pathetic insects to pieces before burning their remains just to make sure that they were all dead. But as if in response, Coronatus flexed her hands, seemingly mesmerizing Rise Falcon, whose first target ended up being the giant moth.

"Ohohoho!" Ran laughed. "I was frightened for a moment, but for all of your theatrics, you did not know that the effect of my _Orchid Beetle_ that _Cornatus_ gained is a two-parter! In addition to making my monster immune to destruction by simply discarding a card, I can now choose your attack targets, meaning all of your One-Turn Kill damage will be reflected onto you, as per the effect of _Orchid Cloaked Bombyx_!"

"POINTLESS!" Shun countered. "I activate the effect of _Raidraptor - Stun Strix_! By banishing this card from my hand, I negate the effect of a monster that my 'Raidraptor' monster is attacking!"

And at that moment, Ran's moment of triumph faded.

"...Eh?" She croaked.

"And in case you try anything else," Shun continued, "I will chain with my _Raidraptor - Flock_! The instance a 'Raidraptor' monster is banished, I add as many copies of that monster as possible from my Deck and/or GY to my hand as possible! I add two more copies of _Stun Strix_!"

"...Does this count as overkill?" Zenshin asked.

"Normally I'd say yes...but it's Ran so…" Keiro replied. "Ehhhh...not really. Then again the guy's a crazy whackadoodle-doo-man so maybe it all loops back to being overkill...maybe? I told her dueling that guy would be a bad idea, but does anyone listen to ol' Keiro? No, no they don't!"

Indeed, Ran was helpless as another small mechanical owl, colored pitch-black with purple highlights, flew onto the field. Unlike Booster Strix however, Stun Strix did not simply explode on contact when it dashed at Cloaked Bombyx. Instead, it slammed right into the giant moth's gut, causing it to go off-balance, now completely vulnerable to Rise Falcon's attack, with the enormous flaming bird incinerating the moth with nothing but simple contact.

Ran shut her eyes as Rise Falcon tore through the rest of her field. It was all for dramatics of course, as Shun had already won the duel, but she could easily tell that the fiery winged terror would not be satisfied. The sounds of slashing and explosions echoed in her ears as she gripped her D-Wheel as hard as she could, barely keeping herself upright as the programs within registered her loss.

**RAN LP: 0 - LOSE**

**WINNER: SHUN**

"A-and the challenger wins!" Hibiki cried out by instinct. "Ran's win streak has been smashed! Looks like she'll have to try again if she wants to challenge The Prince!"

"Dude, again, crazy person!" Keiro yelled, disgusted that Hibiki was falling into his routine and not recognizing any potential hazards. "Knowing him he's probably going to blow her brains out or slit her throat for losing the duel! We have to stop him!"

Sakura found herself clinging to Mei now, terrified of the horror stories Keiro and Zenshin had shared from the time they had lived as Commons before the programs put into place by Principal LeBlanc had enabled their enrollment. She found herself frozen in place, all sorts of nightmarish scenarios playing out in her head as it clicked as to the potential threat that Shun Kurosaki posed.

"This isn't good…" Serena groaned, realizing exactly what was about to follow. "Sawatari, come on, we have to stop Shun!"

"Stop him from doing wh-oh...Ohhhh...Wait isn't that a good thing?" Shingo asked.

"Not if what my gut's telling is right, now come on!" Serena growled, grabbing her associate's wrist and dragging him down the steps.

Of course, this obviously caught Keiro's attention, as the red-jacketed girl's words seemed to have confirmed that Shun was playing for some kind of demented stakes. Of course, WHY they were traveling with a guy who played by those stakes was not known to Keiro, but the instinct to put a stop to it all was taking full control.

"Zenshin, Kyoutaro, on me, now!" the blue-haired youth commanded, running after Serena and Sawatari.

"Right, come on Kyoutaro!" Zenshin said, all traces of levity gone as he followed his friend, with Kyoutaro trailing behind.

"Get back here, you three!" Hotaru called, hot on their trail.

Shun however, was oblivious to the small crowd heading towards him. His attention was towards the bitch of Academia that he had crushed. He had to give her one piece of credit. Unlike LDS' so-called 'Elite', she was actually able to stand up after her defeat, helmet taken off to reveal her long, blonde hair as she examined her D-Wheel, a look of annoyance on her face. But that would not change the fact that she lost...and was now capable of being sealed into a card. The Synchro Dimension's Academia would begin to crumble today, once Ran was sealed. Then the rest would follow. He would destroy all of those monsters one-by-one, silencing their idiotic commentary once and for all.

This was his declaration of war! This was it! He had already taken out his real duel disk and not the one attached to the borrowed D-Wheel. The time had come! He raised his left arm, and pressed the button. Any moment now, purple light would shine, and Ran would vanish, to be replaced by a card that Shun would throw to the ground.

But that light of victory did not shine.

Shun looked at his duel disk, blinked, and pressed the button again. He turned the dial attached to it, but still nothing happened. He kept on fiddling with the device, but it remained unresponsive.

"What's wrong with my duel disk?!" Shun yelled.

"Trouble, big boy?" Ran asked, having gotten FAR too close to Shun's liking. In any other situation, he would call walking up to an active carding duel disk to be the height of stupidity and ignorance...even though actually, yes, Ran WAS being stupid and ignorant, even if Shun's duel disk wasn't working.

"Can't take any pictures?" she sighed. "Well, you are the victor, so you do deserve it. Smile!"

And the green-suited duelist whipped out her own duel disk, though hers had been attached to her D-Wheel, and quickly snapped a few selfies of herself and Shun, before showing them off to the flabbergasted and still very angry Xyz user.

"You know, the winner should be smiling more." she frowned. "Hmph...and here I thought I was ready to take The Prince on...still...good match, I suppose."

Only Ran's general attitude, and not her words, were sinking into Shun's ears, as it slowly dawned on him that there was only one reason his duel disk was not carding Ran...or rather, one person.

Reiji Akaba.

Of course, of fucking COURSE Reiji, in his charitable way, would disable the one method Shun had for permanently destroying Academia's agents besides beating them to death, as he had attempted to do many times until the Resistance was successful in reverse-engineering the carding technology themselves. The man had already shown shady behavior when Shun and Yuto had first allied with him, and now, by letting Reiji experiment on Shun's duel disk so as to reverse engineer its functions for the duel disks of the other Lancers, Shun realized that he had made a grave error.

He then realized that Ran had left him alone, and was instead now rolling her D-Wheel away, oblivious to the ramifications of her loss. What kind of idiots was Academia training to attack Heartland? Was their new plan simply to anger Shun with ignorance in place of the wicked malice Academia students usually showed? He didn't want to find out. If he couldn't card Ran, he would destroy her the old-fashioned way.

So he prepared to run after her, to pummel her senseless with his fists, when Serena and Shingo jumped in front of him.

"STOP!" Serena yelled.

She really was like Ruri in that regard. Oh yes, there was that bloodthirsty glint for prey like with most Academia students, but Ruri, for some reason, always was willing to show the enemy mercy. Shun couldn't understand it. Ruri, like everyone else in Heartland, considered Fusion Summoning to be the technique of the Devil, the enemy...but she staunchly refused to ever card people, or let Shun get out of control if Yuto was not already around to do it. Shun couldn't grasp why both Yuto and Ruri were willing to show the enemy mercy.

And right now, Serena seemed to be showing the same mercy. Or maybe she still held an attachment to her old organization? Shun didn't know, but nor did he care.

"Get out of my way!" he demanded. "I have to make them pay! THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR WHAT THEY DID!"

"WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING YOU CRAZY ASSHOLE!" Keiro cried, joining Serena and Shingo, along with Zenshin and Kyoutaro, who trailed at the far end of the five-man chain that protected the still-ignorant Ran. "I don't know what the hell you and your 'friends' or whatever are talking about, but we didn't kidnap your sister or attack any alternate dimension or whatever! So get your creepy, freaky whatever-the-hell you were gonna do ass, out of our school!"

"You want to hurt anyone, you'll have to go through us!" Zenshin declared, arm raised to reveal his red duel disk at the ready, an orange curve of energy glowing. Behind him, Kyoutaro had his duel disk active as well, revealing a brown duel disk with a yellow curve.

"Shun, I don't think they're with the enemy!" Serena protested. "They don't know about the war!"

"LIES!" Shun spat. "WHY ELSE WOULD THERE BE AN ACADEMIA IN THE SYNCHRO DIMENSION!?"

But before Serena, Shingo, Keiro, or Hotaru could say another word, a black-and-green net shot out and slammed into Shun, knocking the Resistance duelist onto the ground as it managed to capture the upper half of his body. Shun roared in defiance, flailing wildly on the ground in a desperate attempt to escape.

"THIS IS SECURITY!" A burly officer announced in a megaphone. "You have been identified as potential fugitives and shall be dealt as such!"

"Fugitives?!" Shingo yelped. "W-we didn't do...uh…"

It was then that the two Lancers who were not blinded by rage realized that the officer who had let them off the hook earlier that day...had not really done so.

Five more officers ran into the field, two of them carrying a gun-like weapon. Pressing a trigger caused another black-and-green net to emerge, which Serena realized as being a Real Solid Vision-based weapon, judging from the glow that emanated from the netting. Her instincts immediately kicked into high gear, and she pushed Shingo onto the ground so that they could dodge the projectiles, which instead hit Keiro and Zenshin, who fell to the ground, both squawking in surprise.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Serena said. "We have to grab Shun and-"

But in the time Serena and Shingo had fallen to the ground, the other three officers had already gotten into position. If the fugitives could dodge their weapons, then an alternative measure was required. Thankfully, Security officers were always equipped with knockout nerve gas to cripple potential criminals and help bring them in if possible. Most duelists would thus use a D-Wheel, making the rather close-range weapon more than a bit useless, but on foot, it would prove effective.

So when the two Lancers had gotten back up, two officers managed to run right up to them, unveiling the spray canisters holding the nerve gas, and spraying the substance right into their faces.

"N-nerve gas?" Serena croaked, feeling her body become numb. "Really?"

Sawatari said nothing, his body was so unused to such abuse, he fell unconscious from shock almost immediately, falling into the arms of the officer who had gassed him.

"DAMN YOU!" Shun roared. "STOP! I'LL STOP ALL OF YOU! UNTIE ME AND I'LL CRUSH YOU AL-"

But he never got to finish his words as the sixth officer strode up and sprayed Shun with a large amount of the gas, until the Xyz duelist's words began to slur together, and he began to quiet down as his mouth refused to form words, and his body stopped spasming. Just in case, the officer stayed atop Shun, ready to hit him with the nerve gas again if he reacted, which thankfully, the Resistance member did not as the gas took full hold over him. But his eyes were still focused, glaring daggers at the officers, as if Shun was trying to kill them with his sight alone.

But of course, that would never work.

The officers with the netting guns soon got to work deactivating the binds on Keiro and Zenshin, but made no movement to help the two students up. The ones who had gassed the Lancers soon had them locked up in Real Solid Vision-based handcuffs, not that they would be able to do anything with their bodies essentially paralyzed. Serena and Shun were still conscious, both glaring at the officers, though Shun's was far more feral, while Serena struggled to keep her focus.

"...Um...WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Hibiki cried.

The officer with the megaphone turned to the stands, and saw that Ran had yet to leave the track as well. "You're all coming in with us for questioning." He then put his megaphone up again and shouted to Ran. "That means you as well!"

"Wait, what?" Mei asked.

"Security procedures." the officer grunted in response, seeing Ran turn around, a scowl of annoyance on her face.

Hotaru looked at Keiro and Zenshin as they patted themselves down. Then she turned to look at the three fugitives, but instead, her vision came across a rather tall individual with dark blue eyes and short lavender hair, who, despite seeming more like a boy than a girl, was wearing a custom white Academy uniform with green trim, and was looking on at everything in utter confusion.

It was then that Hotaru forgot about her mission, and instead ran up to Celeste.

"C-Celeste!" Hotaru stammered. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"I'd like to ask you the same question." Celeste sighed. "I thought you said you had something important to take care of...and is this what that was? What on earth happened here?"

Thankfully, Hotaru found herself not having to answer as Keiro opened his sarcastic mouth again. While it could get grating, Hotaru had never been more relieved than to hear Keiro's usual input than right now.

"Basically, three crazy people ran into the campus, and then Ran dueled one of them, and the rest were going on and on about some 'other-dimensional' bullshit, and apparently Security was after them or something. Cue us all being here and wanted for questioning."

"That's right." one of the officers who had shot at Keiro and Zenshin grumbled. "Everyone here is coming with us! Now! No more small talk, get moving!"

Not wanting to be on the receiving end of Security's wrath, the students wordlessly lined up behind the officers. Hotaru trailed off at the rear, only to find that Celeste was not letting go of the issue, and was sticking next to her. Now, usually Hotaru would not mind this, but right now the presence of The Prince felt like an additional sentry had been sent to keep an eye on Hotaru.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here. I thought you were having trouble with your parents again." Celeste whisphered.

It was then that Hotaru internally breathed a sigh of relief. Her cover was still intact, thank god. "I...was...but then I saw three suspicious people run into campus, just like Keiro said and I...got worried. And...well…"

"Do you really consider being questioned by Security to be a better use of your time?" Celeste questioned, with just a hint of disappointment in her voice.

In any other situation, Hotaru would simply hung her head in shame. Disappointing someone always did leave something so much different than anger...but in this case...Hotaru did not have the heart to say that in many ways, this was a better use of her time. So instead, she remained quiet, noticing a fly having landed on her shoulder, seeming to stare at her. Of course, she knew what it actually was, and brushed the drone away.

She now had a decent idea of what the Shadowman wanted her to do.

* * *

"Well, I don't think the Lancers made too many friends today…" Woland chuckled, checking the footage of Shun's duel against Ran and the aftermath while Behemoth remained curled up next to his owner in the dirty Commons alleyway they had stationed themselves in, licking himself. "That being said, loss is so oftentimes far more instructive than success. This...could pay quite the dividends in the future…"

Woland hummed a little tune to himself, before breaking out of his private musings and switching over to another set of scenes.

"Hmm...the so-called 'Hero' and his 'friends' don't seem to be making any progress right now…" Woland sighed, looking at the footage of Yuya, Gongenzaka, and Dennis. "Ah well, best to let them run free for now. Let's see how YOU'RE doing however, Reiji Akaba…"

The scenes changed again, to give a four-way view of the leader of the Lancers, his younger sibling, and their bodyguard. Anticipating some quality entertainment, and knowing that he would soon have to get into the field, Woland pulled out some beef jerky, before grimacing, loathing how the thing he'd been forced to bind with had dulled his sense of taste not unlike how a cold would. Behemoth then began meowing, pawing at Woland's legs, clearly wanting a treat of his own before heading out to do his part. Silently, Woland unveiled a small piece of camembert cheese for the black cat to chow down on, which the kitty quickly gobbled up, before running into the darkness, leaving his master alone to monitor the next scenario.

* * *

Reiji was silent as he checked his duel disk, deciding to give up the ghost. It wasn't that his duel disk was malfunctioning however. It was more that his attempt to contact the other Lancers as a test run had proved to be a failure, with him getting nothing but static, completely incapable of connecting to their duel disks.

"Strange how we have connection to the internet, but direct communications are all monitored or blocked…" the CEO mused. "I presume you have had no luck as well, Tsukikage?"

The ninja shook his head, indicating that he was having the same issue.

That being said however, Tsukikage currently did not look like a ninja per se. Shortly before exiting the Hotel Lola, the Fuma Clan member had used one of his jutsus (which to clarify, were merely quick motion-techniques associated with combat or stealth preparation and not the flashy nonsense seen in _Naruto_ , which all members of the Fuma Clan loathed with a burning passion) to change into a less conspicuous outfit. It hadn't stood out as much when all of the Lancers were gathered as a group, with the cover story being that they were a traveling troupe of sorts, but in a small group that was heading for the heart of the City's political matters, being dressed in ninja garbs would make Tsukikage stand out like a sore thumb.

While Tsukikage had retained his scarf to hide his mouth, the rest of his clothing had been changed completely, in favor of a simple dark blue bomber jacket over a grey shirt and dark blue jeans, and simple black shoes. Likewise, his scarf hung much more limply and had been tied up in several knots so it did not fray outward as much as it usually did. While there were a few glances concerning the scarf, most people assumed that Tsukikage either had allergies or was minorly ill, so there were no true issues regarding his appearance, and no-one paid him, Reiji, or Reira any major attention.

At the moment, the three had stopped at a cafe in order to sit down and analyze their current situation. Reiji had brought the briefcase from the exchange office with him, but while it still held money, it also held documents, flash drives, and some cards to side-deck in case a specific opponent attacked them.

The trio had not yet reached the political district however, with Reiji deciding it best to gain a bit more information on Neo Domino City's power structure before entering such a critical area, which according to the maps was the highest district: Sector Twelve, which had no sub-areas unlike the rest of the City. It was the center of the massive metropolis' power structure, and was the building that housed the so-called Executive Council, with only Sector Security headquarters in Sector Eleven rivaling it.

With no headway being made on the possibility of contacting the other Lancers aside from updates, Reiji was at something of an impasse of what to do. Of course, he figured that a massively complicated plan would not be required, and that a direct, but cautious approach was the correct solution.

Sipping his Blue-Eyes Mountain coffee (which Reiji privately admitted was nothing special. He had only bought the drink to keep up appearances, having eavesdropped that it was a sign of power and respect to drink the beverage. It was far too delicate and sweet for Reiji's tastes however, as he preferred either a strong black coffee or hazelnut in a pinch), Reiji studied the documents he had brought with him, forming several outlines for proposals and warnings in his head.

But first, he needed information, otherwise he would be speaking nonsense, something most politicians were generally infamous for already. Reiji looked at Reira, who had just finished her chocolate muffin, meaning that they were clear to leave for their next destination, as their waitress had already deposited the bill onto their table.

"Alright, there is a library not too far away from this cafe." the CEO said. "I will be filling out several forms there before we head to the Executive Council's district. While we are on our way, Tsukikage, I want to continue looking up this City's history, as it might prove helpful."

"Understood." the ninja nodded. "I've already looked into it. I can explain on the way."

"Excellent." Reiji said, pushing his glasses into place, getting up from the table and leaving the payment, as well as a tip. "Then let us be on our way."

Gulping nervously, Reira jumped out of her chair, quickly grabbing onto Reiji's hand, with Tsukikage following behind, keeping an eye out for the mysterious presence from earlier. As he did so, and as the trio walked down the streets, the ninja began to exposit on the history and culture of Neo Domino City based on what he had read.

"I'd like to point out that there's a high chance some of this may have been doctored or fabricated." Tsukikage warned. "So the information I explain may be inaccurate in some ways."

"Some information is better than no information. Go on." Reiji comforted.

Tsukikage cleared his throat, and began reading the information he had compiled.

" _Neo Domino City started off as simply Domino City, a district that was at first built as part of a mass land-reclamation project. The 'winner-take-all' mentality took root as corporations quickly arranged to make a move in the new real-estate, and numerous industrialists strove to make their mark. Those that 'won' became known as the Tops as their headquarters and profits and grew, building upwards towards the heavens and those that 'lost' became known as Commons, doomed to be consumed by the winners and living in the downtrodden hellish ground. The cheap housing invited many more individuals all over Japan, but soon resulted in a massive population density spike."_

Reiji stroked his chin. "That begs the question then, how widespread is this victory-obsessed culture throughout the Synchro Dimension? I can't imagine this city being an isolated case."

Tsukikage sighed. "From what I've read, Neo Domino is...something of a pinnacle case. That is to say, similar mindsets have taken root in several countries, particularly in the Eastern hemisphere that we are familiar with, along with several European countries...but Neo Domino City is the town that has the greatest wealth disparity, and thus, I presume, something of the pinnacle of this mindset."

"I see." Reiji said, showing no increase of emotion. "Please, continue."

" _Duel Monsters rose to prominence as several of the top businessmen were notable gamers, considering their skills as such to be an extension of their skills as businessmen. Soon, the game spread to the Commons and Tops alike, and is currently considered one of the quickest ways to reach a sought-after position, or to obtain resources so as to expand one's power."_

Reiji closed his eyes as he thought about this information. It was becoming clear that to gain the approval of this society, the Lancers would need to prove their mettle as duelists, otherwise the Synchro Dimension's top-brass would dismiss them. On the plus-side, their system, on paper at least, seemed to encourage skilled dueling, which meant that if Academia did attempt an attack, the citizens of Neo Domino City might be able to hold them off, compared to the citizens of Heartland, judging from what little info Shun had divulged about the initial invasion.

" _An event eleven years ago however, would mark a significant innovation in the system of dueling. The invention of the D-Wheel. By combining a duel disk with a motorcycle, one would be able to conduct duels at high speeds. While the Tops looked upon this as a crass gimmick at first, several Commons took a liking to it, with one individual proclaiming it to be an expression of freedom. The invention might very well have stayed a simple, obscure novelty item, had it not been for an incident a year later."_

"An incident?" Reiji questioned.

" _Several duelists, throughout the history of the Commons, tried to make their way to becoming Tops. It was simply a matter of pro-duelists earning and maintaining their titles, either rising from their status as Commons, or Tops retaining their status."_

Reiji looked at the posh buildings of the Tops districts, but then looked into the distance. Of course, there were too many buildings in his line of sight to get a good look at the Commons down below, but considering how large the slums were, the CEO suspected that the latter option of Tops retaining their status and hogging power and resources was far more commonplace, pardon the pun, than the former option of a 'Rags-To-Riches' story.

" _A duelist known as Chojiro Tokumatsu, or 'Enjoy Chojiro' as he was popularly known, was a notable duelist among the Commons, and something of an anomaly in the system. He became well-known for being a mediator among street conflicts, either by breaking up the situation peacefully, or crushing violent opponents with his own skills, swaying opinions to his side and helping his reputation grow. He taught many children how to duel, and slowly but surely, became an outspoken individual wanting to make life better, proclaiming that there should be no division among the Tops and Commons. His influence continued to grow, and his message started to be considered by others. The gloried system was in jeopardy."_

A famous mediator. A man whose opinions for peaceful duels and to end strife gave him immense influence thanks to backing up his ideals through victory. If Reiji didn't know any better, he'd consider Chojiro Tokumatsu to be Yusho Sakaki's long-lost cousin, or perhaps, if the counterpart situation was not limited to Yuya Sakaki and Yuzu Hiiragi, an alternate version of Yusho. However, the last sentence Tsukikage read set off alarm bells in Reiji's mind.

"'Gloried system'?" the CEO asked.

"I personally consider this system to be revoltingly corrupt, Reiji-dono." Tsukikage pointed out. "As I said before, this account was constructed with information that may have been edited or had bias implemented into it."

With that said, Tsukikage continued to read.

" _Eventually, to prove his words, Chojiro was given permission to duel the Tops, with his opponent being a relatively unknown teenager, only known by a select few as being a prodigy duelist with complete mastery over advanced forms of Synchro Summoning. The duel only lasted a few turns, and saw Chojiro Tokumatsu being completely crushed by his opponent. Sneered at and treated with disdain, everything the man had worked for fell apart in an instance. No-one would listen to him, and in the end, he himself proved to be a dirty Common by attempting to cheat in one of his matches, resulting in his subsequent imprisonment."_

"...Before I ask about what happened next, did you find anything about his opponent?" Reiji asked. Something told him that the identity of this duelist might be useful for later.

"I could find nothing on him, I'm afraid." Tsukikage sighed. "He refused to do any interviews, instead choosing to find a job in Neo Domino City's administrative sector, and dropped out of the public eye, indicating a rather unglamorous position if he was capable of vanishing like that. I've found no records on his name, either. The information seems to have been covered up."

"Hmm...it would serve the City's administration to withhold such information." Reiji mused. "But I do question why he was allowed that privilege at all. Surely even one mention of his name would leak out."

"The next part of this story should explain that." Tsukikage coughed as he resumed.

" _However, while Chojiro's reputation had been sullied, it had not been destroyed. His legacy was still an inspiration to those Commons who also wanted to destroy the divide between them and the Tops, and they proceeded to riot. The D-Wheel exploded in popularity, with hundreds scrambling to build them. The technology was refined through rapid trial-and-error, and the Commons revolted. It seemed as if the peace of Neo Domino was about to be permanently destroyed, with never-ending riots. This however, would thankfully end, thanks to a new innovation known as Real-Solid Vision."_

It was then that Tsukikage stopped talking to let that information sink in.

Reiji blinked, all thoughts on the unknown duelist (who probably just wanted witness protection to keep himself from being maimed/killed by the rioters) leaving his mind. Ten years ago...that had been right around the time when Real-Solid Vision had become the innovation for Action Duels in Standard. Leo Akaba's records back in Standard had gone back around thirteen years ago, so that aligned with Real-Solid Vision's implementation in Synchro if there were three years of development and trials before the technology could properly be reverse-engineered and mass-produced.

Which made Reiji wonder just how long his father had been working with the Fusion Dimension. He was under no illusions that in all likelihood, the Fusion Dimension had received Real-Solid Vision from Leo, as there was no indication of unfamiliar data in the experiment logs. Reiji had had several top-level LDS programmers review the coding, and Nakajima confirmed that there was no additional coding that would indicate a foreign source, if Leo truly was in contact with the Fusion Dimension even back then. He certainly wouldn't have been in contact with Synchro or Xyz.

That meant that all of the Real-Solid Vision technology originated from Standard. First spread to Fusion thanks to Leo, and with no other sources, to Synchro next. The way Tsukikage had compiled the story, and the way he was now silent again, indicated that there was a high chance that Real-Solid Vision did not have a coincidental counterpart in Synchro. It had to have come from two sources: Standard or Fusion, and it was most likely Fusion.

"Tsukikage, continue." Reiji ordered, going over numerous hypotheticals and theories in his head.

" _Real-Solid Vision was introduced from a foreign source thanks to the current head of Security, the esteemed Jean-Michel Roget. Thanks to the implementation of solid vision with mass, Sector Security, the force that monitors order in Neo Domino, gained a powerful weapon. The Duel Chasers were thus introduced as an elite force, driving the rioters back and restoring the proper order in Neo Domino City once more. To ensure that these riots did not happen again, the Friendship Cup was introduced. A sixteen-person Riding Duel tournament that would crown the victor a Top, and to celebrate peace between the two social statuses of the City."_

That answered that question. The 'foreign source' was more than likely the Fusion Dimension, and this Jean-Michel Roget most likely an advance agent for Academia. Keeping the main city of the Synchro Dimension in a stagnant dystopia and encouraging this system in other towns and countries would certainly play up to Academia's advantage. They might not even have to bother wasting resources on an invasion, when they could simply order Roget to initiate laws that would allow for discrete carding to fulfill Academia's quotas.

" _Obviously however, this did not solve every problem overnight. The first three years were somewhat successful, but a new obstacle appeared in the form of the Neo-Arcadia Movement, led by a man who called himself 'Divine', a man who claimed to have the power to not need Real-Solid Vision to bring his monsters to life. He proclaimed that he would use this ability to help the Commons destroy the Tops, and his group gathered many like-minded individuals to the cause. They were quiet for two years, but the next two were marred with yet more riots and violent confrontations. This spike in violence was marked thanks to Divine stealing the technology for Real-Solid Vision from the Tops duo of Isiah Bolger and Robert Pearson, who received scorn for being 'mavericks' who had pity for the Commons, and now even more so that Divine had the means to essentially give his powers to his army."_

A duelist who did not need Real-Solid Vision to create monsters with mass? That was news to Reiji. The only equivalent he could think of that might have the same effect was the strange state Yuya entered at times.

" _Robert Pearson responded to these criticisms by winning the sixth Friendship Cup, while Isiah Bolger worked out a deal with Dimension Express CEO, Clark Smith, thus ensuring that the two would be employed. Pearson proceeded to try to dissuade the violence not unlike Chojiro Tokumatsu had, teaching children how to duel and pushing for Isiah to try to influence the administrative powers of the City to give the Commons more opportunities, lest Divine continue to grow in power. Pearson was rumored to have built up relations with some of the street duelists however, which caused friction in these attempts as no-one desired to break the delicate balance of the City's power structure."_

Now Reiji was starting to have second thoughts. If these people were so stuck in their ways that they would enable a terrorist the power to increase his sway over their people just to preserve power, how would they react to the idea of an invading army? Would they perhaps **thank** Academia for destroying the Commons? The thought repulsed the CEO greatly. The only person who he could think of who could be that stubborn was Jun-Seo Alaee, but then again, Reiji's self-proclaimed rival from his tournament days was not privy to LDS' plan to prepare Standard for a dimension-wide invasion, and in the end, Alaee had surrendered his company and duel school to LDS' Korean Branch.

" _It seemed that no-one could stop Divine. Robert Pearson would never get the chance to duel him or make further claims for the Commons, as he perished in a lab accident a year prior to the seventh Friendship Cup. Following that, several of the street duelists he was associated with were sent to the Facility for several months, each of them branded criminals and forgotten about."_

"I presume that means that they too slipped out of the public eye then?" Reiji questioned.

"Either they were released and went back to their ways, or have stayed in prison ever since." Tsukikage replied grimly.

" _No-one could stop Divine or get close to his operations. Spies and reporters were either slain or bought over to his side. This all led up to the seventh Friendship Cup, with Divine claiming that he would win the tournament, and enable his organization to gain control of the City. With the influence and glory of winning the tournament, his reign would be ensured. However, a lone hero rose up to stop him, the hero who, to this day, is the City's 'King'. The duelist named Jack Atlas."_

Reiji glanced up, and as if by coincidence, a holographic display board advertising D-Wheels indeed showed a duelist with blond hair, slightly spiked in some areas, with a white-and-purple overcoat that sometimes switched to a motorcycle outfits version. The name displayed was indeed, 'Jack Atlas'.

" _Jack defeated Divine in the tournament, and with his loss, Neo-Arcadia completely crumbled, its members running away from the City, being imprisoned in the Facility or forced labor, or just being executed then and there. Divine himself is currently in the Facility in solitary confinement and life-imprisonment."_

"I'm surprised they didn't just kill him." Reiji noted.

" _Ever since, Jack has defended his title, winning tournament after tournament and remaining victorious in the eighth and ninth Friendship Cups, cementing his position as this City's King and its greatest hope. No new threats have arisen since, besides some urban legends in the Commons that have not brought with them the dangers that Chojiro Tokumatsu, Robert Pearson, and Divine posed to Neo Domino City."_

Tsukikage looked at the CEO. "Do you wish for me to explain other elements of this dimension any further, or give you the document to look over while you are filling out the paperwork?"

"The latter, if you would." Reiji replied, pushing his glasses into place as the trio entered an enormous white skyscraper that seemed made out of glass, shaped like the bottom half of an hourglass. "We're here. Tsukikage, try to see if you can find out how to circumvent the communication problems and send me that document. Reira, stay with me."

The disguised ninja nodded, and split away from Reiji and his younger sibling, with Reiji looking around before locating a computer terminal. He quickly found the site that he had to go to to get the paperwork he needed, and was soon busy filling out PDFs and looking over documents.

Sitting down at the terminal, Reira simply stayed hudded on the chair adjacent to her older sibling, clutching her teddy bear, and sitting down quietly, not even bothering to look around at the high-tech information hub/library, acting as if there was literally nothing else around her...

* * *

"Sitting down quietly?" Woland retched as he observed the three over the fly drones. "No, no, NO! As Kurei and others-who-I-know-but-won't-bother-to-name would say: 'GET ON WITH IT!'"

Groaning, Woland racked his mind. He was not in the mood to watch twenty minutes of people typing stuff on the internet or asking around for hardware/software/tech support in mundane ways, and he certainly did not consider himself crass enough to enact 'hijinks' to make things more 'interesting', as that was Lucas' way, and Woland was not Lucas, nor did he ever wish to be.

Tapping his mark absent-mindedly, Woland sighed, knowing that to use this technique, he would have to let the thing he had let inside of him assist with the spell.

" _You require My assistance._ " The voice of Uku Pacha grumbled grandly.

"Because to use any of my high-level magic techniques I need to deal with you." Woland grumbled. "Why humans find being bound to you lot euphoric I will never figure out. It's more like getting gunged in cow manure."

" _You refer to Me so crassly."_ The dark spirit admonished.

"I have my reasons." Woland growled. "Look, just let me stir-up some buried trauma, okay? That's right up your alley, isn't it?"

" _And what do you have planned for this trauma?"_

"Just trying to get stuff to happen while I wait for Reiji to fill out paperwork." Woland spat. "I'm not going to do anything else with the brat. The boss wants her dead anyways, and I mean, PERMANENTLY dead. No 'brought-back-as-a-Dark Signer', no 'brought-back-as-a-Barian', and no 'reincarnation as a Duel Spirit', none of that nonsense!" He then took a breath to recompose himself, going over the process of spiritual growth that Leo Akaba seemed determined to halt. "I mean, if we succeed in our mission, then we won't NEED to kill the brat, but still. And I can't trust YOU to kill her without you trying something like switching hosts or bringing out another one of your kind to begin the zombie apocalypse. You almost succeeded doing BOTH with the Duelist Crusher, and I'd rather we not have another incident like that."

The spirit remained quiet. Woland knew that he had the death entity pegged. "It's just stirring up some memories for entertainment. I get to watch something where stuff happens, and the kid suffers a panic attack. Win, win."

" _...Proceed then."_ the spirit sighed begrudgingly.

"Excellent." Woland purred, his mark and left eye glowing, the mark glowing purple, and Woland's eye glowing blood-crimson as he prepared the spell.

* * *

People were milling about, but ***** heard none of it beyond whispering. It all sounded the same to her. The noises all blended together anyways. The screams, the stomping of boots, and the gunshots, which ***** had described as bad, they all did the same thing. That warm, dark liquid that turned cold after a while, spilling out of the people...that horrifying, thick red substance.

The people all started to look the same. They were always running at each, always making the same noises, and always spilling out the red substance. Maybe sometimes a clear one too.

Those hands that had reached for ***** were strong, and ***** could not break out of them. She made the noises that they made after swearing to ***** that she'd keep quiet...but nothing happened. Everything then blurred together. Everything looked the same. Everything sounded the same. Everything seemed to feel the same except for the remains of the bear that she refused to let go of…

It was all the same. She was just there. So there was nothing there. Nothing after nothing…

The bear suddenly seemed fixed one day. She didn't know why.

There was a soft thing that encouraged black...but that was it.

She still sat, huddled, just like before. She was only aware of ringing, and people. The stomping was sometimes softer, just clattered against something harder than dirt. There were voices that said to do things...so she did them. They said to eat, she ate. They said to sleep, she slept.

She rarely paid attention to the words that the figures all said…

" _Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder…"_

" _She's become completely unresponsive."_

" _Poor thing."_

What did those words mean? She just sat, huddled, staying in one place, like ***** said. But...what did ***** look like again? Were these people *****?

Where was *****?

Who was *****?

*****?

***** just stayed where she was. Just obeying the figures. It seemed easier. There didn't seem to be any of the red-substance anymore...or at least, it wasn't staining the ground everywhere. There was no more hearing of that particular noise that caused the red to stain the ground. But everything else still sounded the same. So ***** continued to sit where she was.

Finally, a new voice seemed to appear. The voice sounded slightly different...but did this make any difference?

" _Ma'am...I can't advise this!"_

" _I have heard rumors that Ihaehada Duel School has found orphans here to enroll in their classes. I simply wished to find out for myself...now...you say that this child was determined to have a certain disposition?"_

" _Yes, but this is a child! We can't use her-"_

" _At least under our care and tutelage, this child can flourish instead of remaining in this war-torn country as a refugee. Now, what is your name?"_

The person wanted to talk to *****? But what was *****? She opened her mouth...but she heard no sounds. She huddled in fear. Would making a noise cause her to spill the red-substance and turn cold as well?

" _No name? Well then, I can give you one...hmm...Reira...yes...I like the sound of that. Starting today you are now Reira Akaba. Now then, look up at your mother, Reira."_

Reira...Reira remembered what 'mother' was...a tall person with an apron? Maybe...that person knew about *****? Slowly, Reira raised her head up, wanting to see what 'mother' looked like…

'Mother' was ashen-grey, with five eyes and no pupils, three of which were large circles and were in the center of 'Mother's' long head. 'Mother's' body had no apron. It instead looked like the armor that the soldiers wore, but was instead steel-grey and only covered the torso. The arms and legs were colored a dull shade of teal, ending in white hands with a green tint, and the legs ended in long black boots. 'Mother's' face was also completely expressionless, like the corpses of Mommy and Daddy after they were...shot to death, but the blank eyes stared at *n*e* intently…

And the right arm was cackling with electricity.

"Target has been acquired. Executing now." Iapetus said in his dull, monotone voice as he shocked the child to death, fulfilling the orders of his master, Rud-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Reira screamed, blinking and falling out of her chair!

Immediately, Reiji shot of his chair like a rocket, next to his adoptive sibling, who was scrambling onto the ground, tears in her eyes.

"Reira! Reira!" Reiji called, trying to pick the child up.

Reira heard Nii-sama's voice. Nii-sama was here, he would make everything better!

She looked.

The horrifying monster was kneeling over Reira, hands replaced with blades. "You will now be executed, as per orders."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Reira screamed. That wasn't Nii-sama! It couldn't be Nii-sama!

"Keep it down!" several people called out.

"Shhh!" another called.

"Is that a baby? Take it outside!" yet another person called out.

Reiji was about to counter that it wasn't, when Reira scrambled up from the ground and began to run. The CEO immediately got to his feet and tried to reach for Reira, but as if Reira was not wanting to be caught, she instead ducked beneath the table, crawling away as Reiji wasted precious seconds kneeling down and trying to reach for the panicking child. What was causing Reira to act like this?

As Reiji swatted away a fly that somehow had gotten into the library, Reira made a mad dash outside, screaming the word 'NO' constantly.

Reira had to get out. It was still behind her. Everything was dark and scary. Where was her brother? Where was Nii-sama? Where was *****? Everything sounded loud and angry. They were coming after her! There was no place to hide!

"You cannot escape." the monster droned. "Your elimination has been ordered."

"Reiji-dono! What is happening?!" Tsukikage asked, suddenly appearing behind Reiji.

"Reira's having a panic attack of some kind. Help me catch her before the situation spirals out of control." the CEO ordered, knowing that they were attracting attention.

Tsukikage nodded, but then paused as a horrible chill came over him. It was much stronger than the last one...but it felt horribly familiar all the same.

"Reiji-dono…" Tsukikage strained. "It's that presence again...whomever it is that found us earlier...he or she has returned…"

Reiji was not in the mood to question the training or instincts of the Fuma clan. He would ask Tsukikage more about this later. For now, the priority was fetching Reira. He had just finished the last of the forms to make his case and arrange an appointment, anyways, so the disruption was minor. Still, they had to get Reira before she was lost.

"Keep an eye out then." he said quietly. "But we have to find Reira now!"

Tsukikage nodded, and immediately ran after the child. He was faster than Reiji, and could already see that Reira was about to exit the building. Tsukikage cursed and lept out as fast as he could. If he didn't, there was a high chance that Reira would run into the streets...and Tsukikage did not need special lessons or memories to know that children and busy streets did not mix. Luckily, Reira ran smack into a passing man in a suit...but this just caused her to flail about more, dropping her teddy bear, and then changing directions.

She wouldn't be on the street, but now she was out of Tsukikage's sights. The ninja cursed, before stopping in front of the bewildered man to pick up Reira's teddy bear. Quickly moving outside, Tsukikage saw Reira running, thankfully on the sidewalk, but getting further and further away from the library.

"Reira-dono, stop!" Tsukikage called.

"Return here to be properly executed." the monster droned as it fired a blast of electricity at Reira.

Reira screamed, tripping on the hard surface, scrambling to get away. There was another...path! Yes, that might help! She crawled into the alleyway...but her hopes for escape had now ended...for it was a dead end. She didn't have her bear with her...everything felt hard and dusty…

She was going to die.

"NO! NO! NO! GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"

"You are not my superior or master or associate in any way, shape, or form" the monster replied, reaching for A****. "I will not be obeying that instruction. I will now kill you, as per my orders."

"NOOOOOOO!" **d** screamed.

"Reira…"

"NOOOO!"

"Reira-dono!"

"GO AWAY, GO AWAY!" ****l screamed, eyes squeezed shut as she felt the evil monster's hands on her, preparing to either crush her to death or electrocute her.

"REIRA-DONO, LOOK AT ME!" Tsukikage cried, shaking the child's shoulders, causing her eyes to flutter open…

And see the face of the ninja who had been accompanying them. His eyes were locked directly on Reira, looking strange. Reira flinched in fear, closing her eyes again, scared that if she opened them again, the monster would return.

"Reira." A stoic voice called.

Reira opened her eyes, seeing Reiji right behind Tsukikage. "N-nii-sama…Ts-Tsukikage…"

And then Reira began to cry, kneeling on the ground, sobbing loudly. She was safe...she was safe…

Reiji and Tsukikage looked at each other, concerned about Reira's panic attack.

"What happened?" Tsukikage asked.

Reiji sighed, taking off his glasses so as to massage the bridge of his nose. Never did he recall being exhausted in this way before. "I was finishing up the forms when Reira seemed to have a PTSD attack of some sort...though...I don't know what exactly served to trigger it."

Tsukikage thought back to when Reira first seemed to struggle and panic while in the City. It seemed a stretch, but…

"Could it perhaps be because of that...presence?" The ninja ventured. "Reira-dono had a similar reaction when we came here...and I felt it just now."

Reiji put his glasses back on, face clearly in thought. "I'm not capable of sensing it...though I wouldn't be surprised."

Silence fell between them, with only Reira's crying breaking it. Breathing a cautious breath, Tsukikage snapped his fingers in front of Reira, getting the young girl's attention. When Reira looked up, she at first flinched, thinking that the monster was back...only to see Tsukikage offering her bear back.

"You dropped this." he said simply.

Reira sniffled, before gratefully accepting the teddy bear, hugging it tightly so as not to let go of it again. "Th-thank you…" she hiccuped.

"What happened, Reira?" Reiji asked once his adoptive sibling seemed calm.

"It...it was...cold…" Reira sniffled. "An-and...it-it's still...c-cold…"

A chill ran down Tsukikage's spine, and he instinctively looked upwards, seeing that atop of the brick wall that blocked the alleyway…

Was the very same black cat that Yuya and Serena had cooed over.

"Meow…" Behemoth purred in a predatory manner.

"Reiji-dono, get back!" Tsukikage cried, picking up Reira and shoving his superior back as far as possible as Behemoth jumped atop the ninja, eyes glowing a dark shade of green, before a flash of green energy filled the alleyway.

Reiji barely managed to land on his feet, Action Duel instincts kicking in. But when he looked back at the alley, Reira and Tsukikage had vanished.

* * *

When the light vanished, Tsukikage looked around, still holding Reira protectively in his arms. Instincts kicking in, he immediately drew his katana, seeing the strange cat was still present, now on the ground, fur raised, indicating that it was going to attack.

"Reira-dono, avert your eyes!" Tsukikage ordered.

In the ninja's arms, Reira obeyed, squeezing her eyes tightly, not wanting to see any more of the red-substance. Meanwhile, Tsukikage pulled his arm back, slashing at the cat, but before his blade could even connect, another sword, this one straight and double-edged, as opposed to how Tsukikage's katana was only sharp on one side, intercepted his attack, enabling Behemoth to run off into the shadows.

Tsukikage's eyes widened, and he jumped back, letting Reira down as gently as he could, before immediately changing back into his usual ninja garbs, sword and duel disk both active as he identified their new foe.

Woland, face still shadowed under the hood of his robes, sneered, sword-cane still drawn as he remained in a fencing stance. "Apologies for that, good sir, but I can't have you hurting my cat. There are many things that I'm fine with letting go on in this world, but torturing felines goes against my personal code."

"Who are you?" Tsukikage growled, Reira immediately hiding behind the ninja.

"Woland, Squire Woland, at your... _dis_ service." Woland smirked. He then looked behind Tsukikage, and clicked his teeth. "And I see Behemoth didn't grab Reiji Akaba...a pity...but I suppose that will help move things along a bit better, considering where we are."

Tsukikage took a moment to look at his surroundings. The buildings were not made of steel, but rather concrete and brick, with the latter having peeling paintwork. Straining his neck to look upwards, Tsukikage saw the various districts of the Tops, all perched on their pillars, as if reaching for the sky...which only made him realize that he had been brought to, of all places, the Commons.

"Now then…" Woland hummed, tapping his boot on the ground.

A loud roaring sound filled Tsukikage and Reira's ears as they looked around them. Behind Woland and behind them, walls made of purple fire burst out of nowhere, an eerie purple light being emitted from the flames, a light that then proceeded to cover the top of the alleyway, sealing them in with the mysterious new foe, who Tsukikage figured was more than likely the ominous presence he had sensed earlier.

Indeed, there was an...aura to Woland that made Tsukikage's hairs stand on end, and being near the source set off all of his defensive instincts as he felt an enormous need to pick up Reira and escape as soon as possible. A cold, dreadful feeling, akin to a freezing night in a barren forest...with an unknown presence akin to a feral animal lurking in this forest, ran rampant in Tsukikage's bones, and the ninja could tell from Reira's shivering form that she was feeling it as well. It was only thanks to his training that Tsukikage felt that he could stop himself from screaming like Reira had, and running away from Woland in fear.

"What is this?" the ninja grit out, forcing himself to remain calm.

Woland seemed to raise an eyebrow as he sheathed his cane-sword and slipped the weapon onto a belt hidden underneath his black robes. "Just insurance...and to make sure this doesn't turn into a sword fight. I'm quite handicapped right now you see, so it wouldn't really be a fair fight...so that just leaves the traditional way."

With that, Woland rose his right arm, a pitch-black circular duel disk with a yellow pentagram engraved onto the design, which proceeded to project a blue circular blade. He held the activated disk in front of him, getting into a stance that Tsukikage knew all too well as he sheathed his sword, holding his duel disk upwards in response.

"The traditional way of course…" Woland smirked. "Being a children's trading card game."

* * *

Custom Card Section (Includes retrained Anime/Manga originals)

Ran Kobayakawa

Monsters

Orchid Moth (Originated from the 5Ds manga)  
WIND/Level 4/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000  
You can discard 1 card; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster from your Deck, except "Orchid Moth". You can only use the effect of "Orchid Moth" once per turn.

Orchid Honeybee  
WIND/Level 3/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1300  
If this card is Summoned: You can shuffle 1 Insect monster from your GY into your Deck or Extra Deck; draw 1 card. If an Insect Synchro Monster is Synchro Summoned while this card is in the GY: You can add this card from your GY to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Orchid Honeybee" once per turn.

Orchid Ladybug  
EARTH/Level 1/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 100  
If this card is Summoned: You can target 1 Insect monster in your GY that has a Level; this card's Level becomes the same as that monster's, then, if an "Orchid" monster was targeted, draw 1 card. You can only use the effect of "Orchid Ladybug" once per turn.

Orchid Butterfly  
WIND/Level 3/Insect/Effect/ATK: 800/DEF: 1500  
If this card is sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Orchid" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Orchid Butterfly" once per turn. You take no damage from battles involving this card.

Orchid Mantis (Originated from the 5Ds manga)  
EARTH/Level 4/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 800  
If this card is Summoned: You can add 1 "Orchid" card from your GY to your hand. You can discard any number of cards from your hand (min. 1); inflict damage to your opponent for each discarded card x500. You can only use each effect of "Orchid Mantis" once per turn.

Orchid Bellbug  
EARTH/Level 4/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1200  
Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can discard 1 card; this card gains 400 ATK. If this card is sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Orchid" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Orchid Bellbug" once per turn.

Orchid Firefly  
FIRE/Level 2/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 200  
If this card is sent from your hand to the GY: You can Special Summon this card. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned while you control another "Orchid" monster: You can draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of "Orchid Firefly" once per turn.

Orchid Spider  
DARK/Level 3/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 400  
If an "Orchid" monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or by card effect while this card is in your GY: You can Special Summon this card, also banish it when it leaves the field. If this card is Summoned: You can add 1 "Orchid" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Orchid Spider" once per turn.

Orchid Dragonfly  
WIND/Level 3/Insect/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1100/DEF: 1000  
If an "Orchid" monster(s) is sent from your hand to the GY while this card is in your hand or GY: Special Summon this card, also banish it when it leaves the field. If this card is Summoned: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Orchid" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, also you cannot Special Summon monsters, except Insect monsters, for the rest of this turn. You can only use each effect of "Orchid Dragonfly" once per turn.

Orchid Gnat  
WIND/Level 2/Insect/Effect/ATK: 500/DEF: 100  
If you control an "Orchid" monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand or GY, but banish it when it leaves the field. If this card is banished: You can discard 1 card; draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of "Orchid Gnat" once per turn.

Orchid Beetle  
EARTH/Level 4/Insect/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000  
If this card would be destroyed by battle or card effect: You can discard 1 card instead, and if you do, this card gains 500 ATK/DEF, also you take no battle damage from that battle. If you control only Insect monsters, you choose the attack targets for your opponent's attacks.

Orchid Pomp-Mendica  
EARTH/Level 5/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1400  
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Insect monsters  
If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster in your GY; Special Summon it, then, if it was an "Orchid" monster, banish 1 card from your opponent's GY. You can only use the effect of "Orchid Pomp-Mendica" once per turn.

Orchid Reaving Diabolica  
EARTH/Level 6/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000  
1 Insect Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Insect monsters  
If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can draw 2 cards, then discard 1 card. You can only activate this effect of "Orchid Reaving Diabolica" once per turn. If this card battles an opponent's monster, it gains 100 ATK for each Insect monster in your GY until the end of the Damage Step. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage.

Orchid Cloaked Bombyx  
WIND/Level 7/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1600  
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Insect monsters  
If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster from your GY, and if you do, your opponent takes any Battle Damage you would've taken from a battle involving that monster. You can only use this effect of "Orchid Cloaked Bombyx" once per turn. Your opponent takes any effect damage you would've taken. Your opponent takes any battle damage you would've taken from a battle involving this card.

Orchid Reaper Coronatus  
EARTH/Level 8/Insect/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100  
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Insect monsters  
Once per turn: You can shuffle 1 Insect monster from your GY or that is banished into your Deck; replace this effect with that shuffled monster's effects, also this card gains ATK equal to half of the ATK of the shuffled monster until the end of your opponent's next turn. If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can add 1 "Orchid" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Orchid Reaper Coronatus" once per turn.

Spells

Orchid Repopulation  
Normal Spell  
Add up to 2 Insect monsters whose DEF are 1500 or less from your GY to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Orchid Repopulation" per turn.

Orchid Pheromone  
Normal Spell  
Add 1 Level 4 or lower Insect monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Orchid Pheromone" per turn.

Orchid Rejuvenation  
Quick-Play Spell  
Special Summon 1 "Orchid" monster from your GY. You can only activate 1 "Orchid Rejuvenation" per turn.

Traps

Orchid Reaping  
Continuous Trap  
During the End Phase, if there are no Insect monsters on the field, destroy this card. Each time a card(s) is added to a player's hand; inflict 200 damage to your opponent.

Orchid Sting  
Counter Trap  
When your opponent activates a card or effect in response to the activation of the effect of an "Orchid" card: Negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card. During your Main Phase, if this card is in your GY because it was destroyed by an opponent's card effect: You can Set this card to your field. If you control a Synchro monster, you can activate this card the turn it was Set.

Yellow Alert (Originated from the R! Manga)  
Normal Trap  
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: Special Summon 1 monster from your hand in Attack Position, and if you do, change the attack target to it and perform damage calculation. After that damage calculation, end the Battle Phase, and if the Summoned monster is still face-up on the field, return it to the hand.

Orchid Regrowth  
Counter Trap  
When your opponent activates a card or effect while you control an "Orchid" monster(s): Inflict 600 damage to your opponent for each "Orchid" monster you control, and if you do, draw 2 cards. If this card is in your GY because it was sent there from your hand or Deck, when your opponent activates a card or effect while you control an "Orchid" monster: You can banish this card and 1 "Orchid" monster from your GY; inflict 600 damage to your opponent for each "Orchid" monster you control, and if you do, draw 2 cards.

Orchid Resurgence  
Normal Trap  
Special Summon as many of your "Orchid" monsters that were sent to the GY so far this turn as possible. You can only activate 1 "Orchid Resurgence" per turn.

Re-Trap  
Normal Trap  
Pay half your LP, then target 1 Trap in your GY, except "Re-Trap"; Set that Trap. It can be activated this turn. You can only activate 1 "Re-Trap" per turn.

Shun Kurosaki (Thank Holactie he had a reserve of cards from the game to use)

Monsters

Raidraptor - Rescue Lanius  
DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1000  
If this card is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned by the effect of a "Raidraptor" monster: You can target 1 of your banished Level 4 "Raidraptor" monsters or 1 Level 4 "Raidraptor" monster in your GY; Special Summon that monster. You can only use the effect of "Raidraptor - Rescue Lanius" once per turn.

Raidraptor - Stun Strix  
DARK/Level 4/Winged-Beast/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 2000  
If a "Raidraptor" monster you control battles an opponent's monster: You can banish this card from your hand or GY; negate that opponent's monster's effect.

Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle (AKA: The eagle that will hopefully replace Devil Eagle in all of your minds)  
DARK/Rank 4/Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1600  
2 Level 4 Winged-Beast Monsters  
If this card is Xyz Summoned using a "Raidraptor" monster(s) as material: This card gains 300 ATK for each "Raidraptor" monster that was used to Xyz Summon it. Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Winged-Beast monster from your hand or GY. You can only control 1 "Raidraptor - Infernal Eagle".

Spells

Raidraptor - Reserve Unit  
Normal Spell  
Detach 1 material from a "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster you control; draw 2 cards, and if you do, you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "Raidraptor" monsters

Raidraptor - Preemptive Strike  
Normal Spell  
If you control no monsters: discard 1 "Raidraptor" monster from your hand; destroy all Spell/Traps your opponent controls, and if you do, take 100 damage for each. You can only activate 1 "Raidraptor - Preemptive Strike" per turn.

Raidraptor - Flock  
Quick-Play Spell  
If a "Raidraptor" monster(s) is banished: Target 1 of those banished monsters; add as many "Raidraptor" monsters with the same name as that monster as possible from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Raidraptor - Flock" per turn.

Traps

Raptor's Claw  
Counter Trap  
When your opponent activates a card or effect in response to the activation of your "Raidraptor" monster's effect: Negate the activation of that card, and if you do, destroy it. If you control a "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster, you can activate this card from your hand. You can only activate 1 "Raptor's Claw" per turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM! DONE! FINALLY!
> 
> I'll tell you, writing the duel was a pain. Today's card combos take SO freaking long. Why did I choose to write that in?
> 
> But now we are at the next part of our tale! Woland and Tsukikage meet! Next time, the two begin their duel, while Reiji makes his way to the Executive Council building!
> 
> Yes, yes, I implied that they would make it there already in the last preview, but that mental draft turned out to be so, so, DULL.
> 
> For those of you wondering about Reira's backstory and her role, I will be upfront: No, I'm not doing what canon did because that was so unbelievably STUPID. I mean, just...WUT?! Who thought that was a good idea? Likewise, since Reira's flashback trauma's been moved here, I'll just come out and say that the episodes dealing with her arc in Synchro have all essentially been cut/altered. Yes, yes, I cut such an INTEGRAL character arc. In my defense, I wanted to see more Serena action, not see some brat rescue her, and likewise see Ray and Zarc have a proper duel instead of seeing Gargoyle!Yuya dueling a brat and blowing himself up.
> 
> Huh, that last part turned really ranty. Ah well.
> 
> -Epsilon Tarantula-


	5. Wicked Spirits - Hexenacht

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukikage engages in a duel with the mysterious duelist, Woland, to protect Reira! However, he soon finds himself in trouble against the power of Woland's Synchro monsters! Meanwhile, Reiji tries to meet with the Executive Council, dealing with a certain individual...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie, writing this duel gave me burnout xP.
> 
> But I've broken through my record, and now actually managed to HIT the fifth chapter of this story! WOO-HOO!
> 
> ...And beyond that, I've not much to say. Behold, the second part of the Reiji/Reira/Tsukikage experience! Will Tsukikage survive his duel? Will we will see Reiji do stuff? Will we see people go crazy?
> 
> Hopefully yes, yes, and no. Let us begin.
> 
> I do not own Yugioh. Never have, never will, haven't bought or traded a card since 2014 and now just content doing online dueling.

_Dimension Dowsing - Present Swing_

_Episode 58: Wicked Spirits - Hexenacht_

Reiji Akaba was never one to really let his emotions out. Ever since he had learned of his father's mad plan; leaving LDS and Leo Corporation to take control of a military organization from another dimension in order to invade other worlds for the sake of 'making them one', the young prodigy had sworn to harden himself with determination, and stop Leo Akaba. Reiji had taken control of that which Leo had abandoned to rot, keeping tight control over the executive board, collectively known as the Suits, and expanding LDS' power structure so as best to counter Academia, all with a stone-faced demeanor that did not show weakness. He wasn't alone in his mission of course. Nakajima had proved himself as an invaluable right-hand man, and Himika showed off her skills as a businesswoman, ruthlessly leveraging whatever she could to stop her ex-husband, bypassing numerous antitrust laws in the process, and of course…

Reira's adoption.

From the start, Reiji had to admit that he was a bit unsettled. Learning that his mother had entered Central Europe, war-torn thanks to a conflict that had been sparked by a weapons test performed by rogue extremists in the Serbian government to eliminate anti-government protests; that was one thing. Learning that it was for looking for potential duelists after Nakajima had reported that Jun-Seo Alaee's company, the Ihaehada Group, had been looking for such duelists to enroll in Ihaehada Duel School, or IDS for short, all of which was based in South Korea; that at least seemed reasonable, though Reiji didn't know what exactly Alaee's motivations were, notifying Nakajima that once they could move onto to Phase 4 of the Lancers Selection, that Alaee's motivations were to be immediately disclosed.

It made sense, after all, to investigate what it was that interested the one duelist who had truly challenged Reiji back during his tournament days, and by all accounts, seemed to rival him, though Reiji had proved himself as the superior prodigy, at least according to Himika.

Reiji, for his part, had not cared about the media hype or Himika's bragging.

This however, did not affect the CEO's surprise when he learned that his mother had returned, but with a young child no older than ten, hooked up to a chair in the center of a near-empty, dimly-lit chamber, with wires monitoring her mental state, being indoctrinated into learning how to duel. Himika's explanation was even more disturbing: The child had no free will, and could be freely molded, a trait that she had developed to cope with the trauma of that horrific war.

The following days, stretching into weeks, then months, had Himika ruthlessly cram Reira full of dueling knowledge, showing a great deal of impatience whenever the young child did not seem to grasp a concept, yelling furious, abusive words in the process, even hitting the child if her temper reached a particular point. Almost every waking moment for Reira was to be spent learning and dueling, a routine which she eventually became accustomed to as she seemed to adjust to Himika's...zealous attitude, to say the least. Reiji's mother was quite pleased to have raised a living weapon, though Reiji privately thought at the time that this was an unnecessary addition to LDS' ranks.

That was honestly the main reason for Himika's five-month long absence from home before the Miami Championship. Now that his mother had her puppet, Reiji decided to properly investigate the matter and make buying out the Ihaehada Group a top priority. It was already the last major resource that LDS needed for their plans anyways, so it wasn't hard to convince Himika to spearhead the operation.

Now, that led to the question: Did Reiji consider Reira to be his sibling?

Even though Reira was adopted into the family, she had been treated more like a robot being tuned-up for battle than a person. Himika didn't even bother correcting the child's gender during the MCS when a simple oversight registered the Junior Female as a Junior Male, and thanks to Reira's covered-up appearance, it was easy for many to mistake her for a boy anyways. Of course, Reiji did find himself being concerned. Whenever his mother was becoming too forceful, Reiji would step in to ease Reira through certain exercises that she was having trouble with, helping her to pass the assignments whenever their mother had the idea to up the difficulty level.

As Reiji stormed down the sidewalk, ignoring the gossiping whispers of the people who had managed to catch a glimpse of the chaos that had caused Himika's so-called 'superweapon' and the ninja, Tsukikage, to vanish into the ether, he couldn't help but recall two sets of memories…

First was how before Leo vanished, he, mother, and father would sit down and be able to eat and converse with each other at relative peace. Of course, many times they would pester Reiji about his grades and accomplishments, with Himika lavishing praise on her boy, and Leo expressing his approval...which of course reminded Reiji of how that began to lessen, and how Leo returned home less and less, and when he did, became more and more distant, arguing with mother more frequently, until he finally left.

From then on, Reiji had grown very accustomed to quiet, solitary meals as he busied himself with work. Oftentimes Reiji was so busy, he'd have Nakajima ring in dinner so he could eat in the office. And since Himika was busy herself, she too oftentimes chose to eat alone in her quarters. Reira was essentially watched over by LDS' scientists, and very often ate alone.

Then, for the second memory, there was one time, shortly after a rather harsh lesson that Himika refused to let the CEO help his adoptive sibling with, where Reiji felt...perhaps more than a twinge of pity for Reira, and offered to let her join him for dinner.

It was a small gesture, but it had put one of the few rare smiles that Reira ever expressed onto her face.

Somehow, that night led to Reiji becoming more invested in Reira's growth as a duelist, keeping a closer eye on the curriculum Himika was one-step away from literally injecting into the poor child's brain, making sure that it wasn't too severe and slowing the pace down to a level that Reira could keep up with if need be. If Reira needed a practical lesson, Reiji was all too willing to step in and assist. Not to mention that when Himika left for the project of buying out Ihaehada, it gave Reiji greater control over Reira's training. As such, slowly but surely, through much trial-and-error the CEO began to share his mother's confidence that Reira would be an asset for the Lancers Selection.

That was why he decided to bring Reira along for this mission…

And yet now, their 'trump card' was gone, having suffered a PTSD episode, and at risk of being caught or 'neutralized' by the enemy. Reiji was not wasting anymore time. Without a word, he re-entered the library and found the terminal he had been sitting at. An attendant had come to clean up the mess, but Reiji waved her off and returned to his chair, placing the documents into the printer queue and saving the document entailing more information about the Synchro Dimension's history and culture that Tsukikage had compiled into his duel disk for later reading.

Once the documents were printed, Reiji pulled out a manilla folder and quickly slipped them into it. He didn't waste any time in exiting the library and flagging a taxi, offering a quick money supply to get to the Level 12 district.

Their mission had, of course, been to get introduced to the corridors of power. Reiji had to hope that Tsukikage and Reira could take care of themselves, and that perhaps whatever case he could make could at least get the administration to see the Lancers in a positive light.

Best to stick to the plan in this case, rather than flail about like a chicken with its head cut off. It seemed the best way to deal with the new threat.

* * *

"So…" Woland began, smirking at Reira. "Shall we engage in a two-on-one duel? Battle Royale format, perhaps?"

Reira shivered, holding onto her teddy bear tightly. Any thoughts of dueling the scary cold man were out of the question. Instead, she turned away, crouching behind Tsukikage.

The ninja looked down at Reira, pity very evident in his eyes. "Reira-dono, if you do not wish to fight, please find a place to hide. This duel is very likely to get violent."

Nodding, Reira immediately ducked behind a crate, one of many such pieces of debris and detritus that littered the dirty alleyway. Once he was sure that Reira was safe, Tsukikage looked at Woland in disgust.

"I presume you are the one who mentally assaulted Reira-dono?" he growled.

Woland raised his hands into the air. "Guilty as charged, my friend. I have quite a particular set of skills in my repertoire. Some of these skills being what you might call...magic."

"We are not friends." Tsukikage snapped, not in the mood for the new enemy's theatrics. "You are quite clearly opposing our mission, and intend to deal harm to my comrades. As such, you must be defeated."

Woland raised an eyebrow at Tsukikage's usage of the word 'comrades' as he lowered his arms. "Ninjas? Caring about their comrades? Don't tell me you practice _bushido_ as well? Last I checked, ninjas fought by the 'code' of _ninjutsu_ , which as I recall, is a nebulous thing that encourages continuous usage of deception, stealth, and pragmatism." The hooded man paused, then began to chuckle. "But then again, who am I to question the contradictions and anomalies of the universe? They make it all so much more interesting! Alright then, you're on! One-on-one, man-to-man, as you prefer!"

"Then let us begin." Tsukikage said grimly.

**DUEL!**

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 4000**

**WOLAND LP: 4000**

**ACTION FIELD ON - FIELD SPELL:** _**CROSSOVER!** _

The moment the duelists declared the start of the duel, the scenery was changed somewhat. Everything took on a blue tint as a number of small blue platforms manifested in the air at random points, before a sphere full of cards that had a large 'A' emblazoned on their backings appeared and burst like a balloon, scattering them everywhere.

"Oh?" Woland wondered out loud. "Is this the Action Duel you duelists from Standard are famous for? Interesting, very interesting…"

'He knows that we're from Standard.' Tsukikage thought to himself. '...I'll go over how he knows that with Reiji-dono later. For now…'

"I shall take the first move!" the ninja announced. "I summon _Twilight Ninja - Yoru_!"

The already dark alleyway seemed to darken even more, until two glowing yellow eyes could be made out in the shadows. The swipe of a black katana blew the shadows away, revealing an armored individual dressed in pitch black cloth and armor, with long claws on his hands, and a long scarf made of shadows, almost akin to a tendril, handing from the masked monster's neck. The ninja made a few more swings with his sword, baring it at Woland.

**Twilight Ninja - Yoru/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000/Scale 3**

"A Normal Summonable Level 4, eh?" Woland remarked. "So...how does it shoot itself in the foot?"

"When I Normal Summon _Yoru_ , he destroys 1 'Ninja' monster I control." Tsukikage explained. "As I only control one, that means _Yoru_ will destroy himself."

Shadowy arms erupted from the ground, dragging the ninja down into a patch of darkness that had formed underneath him. Surprisingly, instead of panicking, Yoru seemed perfectly fine with his situation, as if the arms dragging him down were more akin to grass that he would hide in.

Tsukikage then gestured towards the patch of shadows that took Yoru's place. " _Yoru's_ second effect now activates. When he is destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon, in Defense Position, 1 Level 4 or lower 'Ninja' monster from my Deck. To me! _Twilight Ninja - Shingetsu_!"

Yoru's scarf was still sticking out of the portal, when the shadows vanished to reveal blue cloth, before another ninja leapt out of the darkness. This one had four lean arms, blue armor, and a blue cape adorning his body, landing gracefully on the ground, arms folded as he leveled a glare at his master's opponent. The four-armed ninja glowed with a lavender aura, indicating that he was in Defense Position.

**Twilight Ninja - Shingetsu/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 100**

"Is there a reason you put a monster with such abysmal DEF in Defense mode?" Woland questioned, his right eyebrow raised.

"Is there a reason why should I explain my strategies and tactics to you?" Tsukikage asked dryly as he slipped Yoru into the Extra Deck face-up, as per the rules with Pendulum Monsters. "Anyways, as I control a 'Ninja' monster, I activate the Continuous Spell, _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Shuriken_!"

Before Woland could make another remark, Tsukikage dashed upwards, searching the platforms for Action Cards. He looked to his right, finding one right on the edge of an adjacent platform, and added it to his hand. The card was _Cursed Crystal_ , which inflicted 600 damage onto the player who activated it. By-and-by, it was useless on its own and not a card Tsukikage would want in his hand under most circumstances...but with his Hazy Shuriken out, any Action Spell would do.

"Whenever I add a card to my hand, I can activate _Hazy Shuriken's_ effect!" Tsukikage explained. "I send the card I added to my hand to the GY and inflict 300 damage onto you!"

The image of the spell appeared in front of Tsukikage, launching three purple energy-shurikens at Woland, who grimaced as they cut into him. Thankfully, Woland had made sure that his current garments functioned to blunt the impacts associated with Real-Solid Vision, but he still felt the projectiles press into his skin.

**WOLAND LP: 3700**

Tsukikage spotted another Action Card down below, and quickly grabbed it. Depositing the _Mad Hurricane_ card into the GY, his spell manifested again.

" _Hazy Shuriken!"_

"Gah!" Woland yelped, as one of the shuriken got underneath his hood and scratched his face before it vanished.

**WOLAND LP: 3400**

Tsukikage ran up the wall, right past where Reira was hiding, finding a third Action Card, _Nanana_. Of course, he slipped it into his GY-slot.

"Once again, _Hazy Shuriken_!"

Woland raised his left arm to defend himself, feeling the energy-shuriken impact into him a third time.

**WOLAND LP: 3100**

"A fourth time!" Tsukikage declared, rushing for an Action card near one of the top-platforms…

Only for Woland to suddenly appear in front of the ninja, eyes wide with an emotion Tsukikage couldn't quite put his finger on...since at that moment, the mysterious man's face seemed to turn horribly ghoulish, eyes glowing red and yellow before that light turned a uniform purple, and whatever facial features that had been exposed by what little light made it into the rather wide alleyway were coated in shadows, the mouth seeming to have turned into a blue-white void as Woland's face seemed to stretch in a manner akin to the famous painting known as _The Scream_.

Freezing at the sight, Tsukikage barely managed to stop his trajectory, jumping down for a lower platform. Thankfully, it too had an Action Card, but just as Tsukikage grabbed it in order to use his _Hazy Shuriken_ , Woland slammed his own Action card into the Spell & Trap slot of his duel disk.

"Action Spell, _Crush Action_!" the dark figure howled. "This turn, all Action Cards added to the hand are destroyed!"

Tsukikage grit his teeth as the _Fire Crystal_ he had obtained burst into golden particles.

Panting, Woland looked down at Tsukikage, with a smile that did not exactly seem like a smile.

"Well, well...instead of your monster being fodder for mass-Tributing or Extra Deck spam, you decide to pull off a rather...physical burn combo. Well done, well done! But I'm sorry to inform you that I will not be One-Turn-Killed by scratch damage!"

"I didn't expect that you would be." Tsukikage replied, voice managing to remain even as he pulled another card from his hand. "But when _Fire Crystal_ was destroyed, you enabled me to activate the Quick-Play Spell _Spiritual Ninjitsu Art of Ascension_! If a card that was added to the hand was directly sent to the GY, I can banish up to four cards that were sent to the GY this turn, and for every two cards that were banished, I can draw 1 card. With this, I banish all four of the Action Spells in my GY to draw twice!"

Woland, for his part, was content to simply drop down to his starting spot for the duel as Tsukikage banished the cards in his GY and drew.

The ninja studied his new cards, closed his eyes, and sighed. "I now set three cards face-down to end my turn."

"My turn then." Woland said with a grimace. "Draw!"

Woland looked at the card he had drawn, then placed it in his hand, which he proceeded to look over, seeming to muse to him as to what card to play. Tsukikage held his breath, but Woland did not yet begin to make a move. Ten second, thirty seconds, one minute...and yet Woland did not play even a single face-down card. Before Tsukikage could protest this, Woland looked up from his hand, giving the ninja a critical glare, an act which caused Tsukikage to instinctively flinch.

"Tell me something, what are the rules considering the interaction of Action Fields and regular Field Spells?" the hooded man asked.

Not wanting to divulge any details, Tsukikage remained silent.

Woland raised an eyebrow at the ninja's stoic demeanor, then chuckled darkly. "It's no use playing mute, my friend. I know how it works. With Action Fields present, the rules for Field Spells change. Now, only 1 Field Spell can be out at a time, and if another one is played, it overwrites the current one. Yet, I never see this in your most recent tournaments...why is that?"

"You should know already." Tsukikage grit out, dreading how and why this mysterious figure knew so much about the Standard Dimension.

"Well, mind if you vocalize this, for the benefit of our...audience?" Woland asked mockingly, gesturing over to Reira.

Tsukikage was silent for a little longer, but kept his tone even as he explained. "Regular Field Spells are banned during official tournaments. This is because it encourages a home-terrain style-of-play, with duelists trying to rig the fields to their advantage instead of using the already-present Action Field."

"Well, we're not in a tournament, are we?" Woland asked rhetorically as he started typing commands into his duel disk. "I can see that you're attempting to disable Field Spells so we're forced to play by your rules, eliminating a home-field advantage. Clever, very clever indeed...but also inconvenient for me…" Woland then pressed one final button on the touchscreen, before feathering through his hand. "Not to mention that it's very...restrictive...something I am not a fan of. At least _Speed World Neo_ has the decency to let you discard Field Spells so it gains their effects until your opponent does the same."

Tsukikage felt his heart racing, having a good feeling of what Woland had just done with his duel disk. "Don't tell me...did you just…?"

"At this very moment, regular Field Spells are no longer banned!" Woland cackled. "Don't think I couldn't hack into the coding for your Action Duels! You're not in Standard anymore, boy, I want to remind you of that! New Dimension, new rules! Field Spell activate! _Hexenacht Brocken Peak!_ "

And with it, Woland removed the left center card in his hand, and inserted it into his duel disk.

Tsukikage jumped back as purple starshine energy enveloped the field, starting from the ground as it spread and worked its way up. Reira whimpered, watching as the terrain transformed. In the wake of the starshine, the ground turned pitch-black, while the buildings were covered in thick brown vines that grew into massive trees when they reached the top. But the energy did not stop there, it seemed to reach into the sky, replacing the blue afternoon with a black starlit night, which was tinted purple as small sprite-like flames began to dance around the duelists and their young spectator, flying high into the air. The platforms of _Crossover_ also began to change, turning from a square shape into circles instead, their blue-color turning lavender, before yet more of them began to appear above the duelists' heads, seemingly stretching into the endless sky. Finally, instead of the Tops districts being at least somewhat visible from far away, a massive snowy white peak loomed in the background in their place.

Had Tsukikage not been fighting for his life, he would've found the sight mesmerizing and beautiful. But he reminded himself that with this, the enemy now had home-field advantage, and would not be willing to let it go. The ninja steeled himself, knowing fully well that Woland's turn was bound to be highly unpleasant.

* * *

Kurei sighed, rubbing her temples as she tried to think of a proper draft to send to Shiro. What should she send? What would the mad perfectionist say in response? She hated filling out official forms, they were so much more trouble than they were worth. Probably why Shiro had picked a job where he would be surrounded by, and could control such forms in the first place, now that she could think-snark about it.

Then, a notification on her computer. It was from Woland. Curious, Kurei clicked the notification icon…

And saw video footage of Reiji Akaba getting into a taxi, with that taxi on its way to the Executive Council's headquarters, judging by the map that accompanied the footage. Likewise, some text had been sent from Woland in the form of a message, along with the code for a program.

Kurei's first instinct was to dive into the program, instantly recognizing that it was for dueling...but she forced herself to literally swallow her spit to calm herself, and read over Woland's message instead.

The pink-haired mad scientist stared at the screen...and then grinned. It seemed that Woland had done the job for her. Then she read the addendum for the message draft he'd sent.

" _P.S. I figured that you were having trouble with figuring out what to write Shiro. :P"_

"Tch, cheeky bastard." Kurei snickered ruefully as she copy/pasted Woland's message draft, mouse hovering over the 'Send' icon, knowing that it was only to be sent when Reiji Akaba arrived.

Might as well make things interesting for Shiro.

* * *

Woland took a deep breath, clearly enjoying the results of his handiwork. "Ah, fresh mountain air. So much better than the smog and bum-body odor, wouldn't you say?"

Tsukikage did not reply. He just glared at Woland.

"Well, regardless of your opinion, I'll be continuing my turn. _Hexenacht Brocken Peak's_ effect is that once per turn, I can send 1 'Hexenacht' monster from my Deck to the GY, so I'll be burying _Hexenacht Spirit_."

A card was ejected from Woland's deck, which the hooded duelist deposited into the GY. "Of course, there is also the matter of _Hexenacht Spirit's_ effect. Once per turn, by discarding 1 'Hexenacht' monster, I can resurrect _Spirit_ from the GY. So I'll discard _Hexenacht Wolfe_ as the cost, and bring back _Spirit_!"

A small flicker of blue flame started on the ground, before growing larger and larger, until it began forming a semi-humanoid shape, with charred-black bones forming from the flames, until the upper half of a human skeleton formed. A dark-blue cloak draped over the skeleton, while an intricate hexagram inscription, engraved in a brooch, wrapped the cloak tightly over the phantom, who moaned, arms reaching for Tsukikage, who did not flinch at the ghostly monster.

**Hexenacht Spirit/DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0**

"At this moment, I activate a trap!" Tsukikage declared.

But instead of flipping itself up, the card remained where it was, flame-apparitions shaped like interlocked hands surrounding Tsukikage's trap, preventing it from activating.

"What is this?" Tsukikage growled.

" _Hexenacht Brocken Peak's_ other effect." Woland replied matter-of-factly. "My opponent can't activate cards or effects in response to effects that would Special Summon 'Hexenacht' monsters from the GY or the Special Summon of 'Hexenacht' monsters from the GY. Whatever that card is, it'll have to wait a bit longer."

So Tsukikage could do nothing as the timing to use his card faded, causing the hand-shaped flames to vanish. Woland, for his part, was already pulling out another card from his hand.

" _Hexenacht Necromancer's_ effect activates now!" Woland yelled. "The moment a 'Hexenacht' monster is Special Summoned from the GY, _Necromancer_ can be Special Summoned from my hand! Come out!"

A lean, yet muscular man with pale-blue skin and black hair appeared from a portal of blue mist. In his hands was a long wooden staff, which at the end held a large blue orb. The man's lower half was covered in armor, with a belt that had a purple gem in the center that had the same intricate hexagram as Spirit's brooch, while his upper chest was exposed, only hidden by a similar blue cloak as to what his undead ally was wearing. The man gave his staff a few twirls, causing it to glow with dark purple energy.

**Hexenacht Necromancer/DARK/Level 4/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 0**

"Now I will activate my Trap!" Tsukikage declared, acting as if the first activation had not been disrupted. " _Shadow Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Duplication_! When you summon a monster, I can call forth from my hand or Deck, a Level 4 or lower 'Ninja' monster! I choose this moment to call forth a second copy of _Shingetsu_!"

Another four-armed ninja, identical to the first, seemed to rise out of the shadow that Necromancer cast. The blue sorcerer flinched, as if he sensed an unfamiliar presence, turning around and swinging his staff to stop what he thought was a surprise attack, but only hit empty air as the second Shingetsu joined the first, glowing with the same lavender aura to indicate Defense mode.

**Twilight Ninja - Shingetsu/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 100**

" _Twilight Ninja - Shingetsu_ has the effect of making it so that you cannot target 'Ninja' monsters for attacks or card effects except for himself." Tsukikage explained. "Since I control two copies of _Shingetsu_ , that means you cannot attack any of my monsters, or target them with card effects."

Woland rubbed his chin in thought. "So, a lock-tactic eh? I really wouldn't recommend stall tactics in a situation like this. The longer you and the kid stay here, the more vulnerable you leave your boss."

"It might not be my place to say this, but Reiji-dono can fully take care of himself." Tsukikage replied confidently. He had seen the LDS CEO's power up close firsthand.

"Never a good idea to assume that just because you're hot-stuff in one place, that you'll be hot-stuff everywhere else you go." Woland admonished. "You have no idea what could lurk about, nor what could strike at you. I tell you, if I had a nickel for every-time I met a person who got overconfident like that, I'd be the richest...human man in the world."

Tsukikage stared at Woland in disbelief. Was their new enemy trying to lecture the Lancers about the dangers they faced? What purpose would that serve?

"After all, you might have your lock, but I have _Necromancer's_ second effect." the cloaked duelist said. "I can take 1 'Hexenacht' card and either add it to my hand or send it to the GY, and I'll be picking the first option, adding _Hexenacht Conjurer_ from my Deck to my hand...and since I haven't Normal Summoned yet, I'll be using that for _Conjurer_. Come on out!"

Another blue-cloaked monster appeared, this one being a short creature half of Necromancer's height, face completely hidden by his blue-and-black robes, arms covered in grey claw-like gauntlets, wearing a red brooch with an intricate hexagram carved into the gem.

**Hexenacht Conjurer/DARK/Level 3/Psychic/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1000**

"When I Normal Summoned _Hexenacht Conjurer_ , I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower 'Hexenacht' monster in my GY, so resurrect now, _Hexenacht Wolfe_!"

Purple energy gathered in the hands of Conjurer, before the diminutive psionic blasted it at the ground, opening up a portal of thick purple mist, upon which a large blue wolf, wearing a scarf-like blue collar, with a pitch-black gem with a hexagram engraved in it, jumped out. The moment it landed on the ground, it looked at Tsukikage, and growled viciouslessly.

**Hexenacht Wolfe/DARK/Level 4/Beast/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1400**

"Whenever _Hexenacht Wolfe_ is resurrected from the GY, I can increase or reduce his level by one! I choose to raise his level to 5!"

The black gem in Wolfe's head pulsed, the canine growling as the runic numeral for 'five' appeared within the gem, held within the intricate hexagram.

**Hexenacht Wolfe/Level 5**

Tsukikage took a step back. Already the enemy had easily gathered the means for two Synchro Summons of Levels 7 and 8 respectively. The ninja braced himself, knowing that what was to come next would not be easy to fight off.

And as one would expect, now that the materials were out on the board, Woland immediately raised his robed right arm into the air. "I now tune the Level 4 _Hexenacht Necromancer_ with the Level 3 _Hexenacht Spirit_!"

Spirit moaned, transforming into three Synchro rings, but unlike with most Synchro Summons, the rings were not green, but rather a dark purple. Necromancer floated through these purple rings, changing into the regular level stars, but the blast of energy that emerged from the formation was not blue-white, but a rose color.

" _Magic in the forbidden realms, be taken up and wielded by the unfettered, and be unleashed upon the world in vengeful upheaval! Synchro Summon! Open the Gates of Hell! Level 7,_ _ **Hexenacht Witch Avenger!**_ _"_

From the rose-colored energy, a purple-eyed woman with a smooth face emerged. On her back was a long dark-blue cape, and on her head sat the stereotypical witch's hat, but colored dark blue with a black base. The woman was primarily dressed in large indigo robes covered in cyan runic-script, wearing a grey-white belt with an amethyst lodged in the center, the same intricate hexagram as her fellows engraved in it. She also wore a necklace of black beads, at which the center was another amethyst held in silver metal, also with a hexagram engraved in it. Her hair, surprisingly enough, was blond-colored, styled in curved spikes. Her hands were covered with black gloves, and in her left hand was an object best described as a strange cross between a broom and a rifle, held like a staff. Twirling the blaster-like broom-staff, the sorceress gave Tsukikage a critical glare, analyzing his field coldly.

**Hexenacht Witch Avenger/DARK/Level 7/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100**

Woland closed his hand into a fist. " _Witch Avenger's_ effect activates, and _Spirit's_ effect chains to the activation! First, since _Hexenacht Spirit_ left the field after using its resurrection ability, I have to banish it...but of course, when _Hexenacht Spirit_ is banished, I'm allowed to send another 'Hexenacht' monster to the GY! So I'll just be dumping _Hexenacht Newt…_ which of course triggers _Newt's_ effect to Special Summon a _Hexenacht Shadow Token_!"

Tsukikage's eyes widened as a blue shadow creature, shaped to look like the stereotypical impish devil, with blank dark-orange eyes, appeared on the field, snickering like a small child.

**Hexenacht Shadow Token/DARK/Level 1/Fiend/ATK: 0/DEF: 0**

"Finally, _Witch Avenger's_ effect resolves!" Woland bellowed. "If I Synchro Summon her using a monster that was Special Summoned from the GY, she proceeds to destroy every single one of your Special Summoned monsters in turn!"

"WHAT?!" Tsukikage spluttered.

"Revenge Sweep!" Woland commanded.

Tsukikage admitted to himself that he expected the effect to visually manifest from the gun-end of Witch Avenger's staff. Instead, she held up the broom-end, which glowed with a dark purple glow, and swept it along the ground...instantly creating an enormous shockwave of energy that traveled through the ground, tearing right through Tsukikage's field! Both of the Shingetsus screamed before vanishing, instantly destroyed by the ferocious attack. Tsukikage himself jumped back, holding his arms to his face to block the force of the attack, before landing quite a distance aways.

Reira, for her part, had remained where she was, frozen in fear. Yet, she never felt or registered this shockwave, only clutching her legs closer to her chest to avoid the shrapnel.

" _Shingetsu's_ effect!" Tsukikage declared. "When he is destroyed, I can add 1 'Ninja' monster, except for another copy of _Shingetsu,_ from my Deck to my hand! I choose to add _Twilight Ninja Jogen_! Also, I will chain with the Trap Card, _Twilight Ninjitsu Art of Yinyang!_ Whenever a 'Ninja' monster is destroyed by battle or by card effect, I can add up to 2 'Ninja' Pendulum Monsters from my Deck to my hand! In addition, since I no longer have any monsters, a _Twilight Ninja Doppelganger Token_ is Special Summoned for each 'Ninja' you destroyed! Since you destroyed two monsters, I Special Summon two of them!"

In that instant, two clones of Shingetsu appeared, but were somewhat transparent, glowing lavender to indicate Defense Position.

**Twilight Ninja Doppelganger Token/DARK/Level 1/Warrior/ATK: 0/DEF: 0**

"So you recovered your field and hand…" Woland mused. "Good, good…" He then trailed off, sighing. "I really should bring out a monster better suited for field clearing...but what the heck, I've been bored out of my mind, so let's have some fun! I next tune the Level 5 _Hexenacht Wolfe_ and Level 3 _Hexenacht Conjurer!_ "

The wolf and the cloaked dwarf got into formation, with Conjurer turning into the same purple rings that Spirit had turned into earlier, surrounding Wolfe, who turned into the five Level Stars, before the rose-colored energy from before burst outwards...in a manner far more powerful than the previous Synchro Summon.

Tsukikage planted his feet firmly into the ground, feeling the power of this new monster as the energy column rose higher and higher, hearing Woland chant among the chaos, his voice echoing throughout the field.

" _Lord of the Flies, you who lead Demon Gods, cast your shadows on this revolting world! Synchro Summon! Level 8!_ _ **Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons**_ _!"_

When the energy was swept away, Tsukikage looked up to see a truly abominable sight. An enormous worm-like creature loomed over the field, covered in dark brownish-red scales, with the tail being sharpened akin to the tail of a lizard. Where the head would be, there was a fly-like face with enormous, bulging yellow eyes, and gargantuan fangs for mandibles. Two lean, yet muscular human arms covered in the same scales as the rest of the body and ending in massive claws grew from the bottom of this face, where at the very top stoop a human figure, female in shape, covered in white armor, wearing a black armor covering that hid her eyes, but did not hide her long, wild, thick black hair. The final element to the beast was that from each side of the fly-face, right above the arms, from pauldron-like structures, was a long snaking dragon head, the necks studded with large yellow gems, both of which roared at Tsukikage in noises that alternated from deep, booming bellows, to shrill, screeching howls.

All in all, Tsukikage had seen plenty of dragons, but this creature was so twisted, the ninja was surprised to consider that this abomination _was_ a dragon.

**Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons/DARK/Level 8/Dragon/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 3000**

"Fun fact, a friend lent me this card." Woland chimed in, speaking in a tone as if he was simply showing off a card he'd been traded instead of summoning a horrific abomination.

Tsukikage looked down, seeing Reira huddling her body so tightly, she looked more like a small mound of clothes rather than a person. He then looked back at Woland, clearly not in the mood for the man's anecdotes.

"Continue your turn." the ninja growled.

"Fine, fine." Woland shrugged. "When _Hexenacht Wolfe_ is used in the Synchro Summon of a DARK Synchro Monster, I can draw 1 card. Likewise, _Hexenacht Witch Avenger's_ second effect activates. If one of my 'Hexenacht' monsters is sent to the GY, one of my banished Level 4 or lower 'Hexenacht' monsters, or one of the same specifications in my GY is Special Summoned. So return to us, _Hexenacht Spirit_!"

The blue-robed witch once again swept the broom of her staff onto the field, coating Woland's board with purple dust that soon formed into a portal that remained on the ground. A moaning was first heard from the hole, before Hexenacht Spirit rose up again, the blue-robed phantom staring at the field with its usual vacant eyes.

**Hexenacht Spirit/DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0**

"I'll next Set two cards face-down." Woland hummed as two card backings emerged. "And then, since I control a 'Hexenacht' monster, I Special Summon _Hexenacht Thrall Knight_ from my hand!"

A warrior wearing black armor and a blue cape appeared on the field in a flash, swinging his sable sword. His armor was studded with several red gems, each with the usual intricate hexagram engraved on them, with one even being imbedded in the hilt of his blade. His eyes however, were completely blank, being an even-shade of dark blue, and his grey hair still had streaks of brown, indicating something truly stressful had happened to him.

**Hexenacht Thrall Knight/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1200**

Tsukikage grit his teeth. Already Woland had the materials for another Synchro Summon…

"I tune the Level 4 _Thrall Knight_ and Level 1 _Shadow Token_ with the Level 3 _Spirit_!" Woland boomed, his voice seeming to deepen as he initiated his third Synchro Summon.

Unlike before however, this Synchro Summon seemed closer to the 'norm' as it were. Hexenacht Spirit turned into the usual green rings, while Thrall Knight and the Token got into formation, turning into Level Stars before a burst of the usual blue-white energy.

Yet Woland seemed...different, seeming abnormal when finally performing a 'normal' Synchro Summon. His casual demeanor was gone as he summoned this monster, his eyes seeming to turn into the alternating yellow-and-red lights that Tsukikage had caught a glimpse of earlier.

" _At the price of the soul seeking Hell, enter the mortal realm! Sow the seeds of chaos and carve a crest of blood! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Blacken their corpses! Level 8,_ _ **Darkblood Mephisto**_ _!"_

This new monster was of similar height to Witch Avenger, and was human in shape...but as Tsukikage examined Woland's third creature, he could tell that this being was most certainly NOT human. The individual in question wore several dapper robes, with a black shawl draping over a grey vest and brown sleeves, wearing brown trousers...but that was where he started to look less like a person. The left leg seemed to disappear into the long black shawl, and to compensate, the monster was using a cane tipped with a large red orb to steady his body...but the hands holding that staff were a dull-green color, and elongated to boot. Looking back up his form revealed that his face was ghoulish in complexion, being the same color as his hands, with a long nose, and eyes that were yellow on the left side, and red on the right. The only reason Tsukikage had not noticed earlier was because of the black top-hat that the monster wore that hid his face…

Until he looked up to sneer at Tsukikage, sending a chill down the ninja's spine.

**Darkblood Mephisto/DARK/Level 8/Fiend/Synchro/ATK: 2800/DEF: 1300**

" _Darkblood Mephisto's_ effect!" Woland roared. "When he is Synchro Summoned, you take damage equal to the number of cards on the field x300! With there being six cards on my side and three on yours, counting your Tokens, that's a total of 2700 damage!"

Tsukikage immediately began moving again, jumping from platform to platform for the one thing that could save him from Woland's new monster. Already, Darkblood Mephisto was charging crimson energy in the gem of his scepter, where the image of a skull, writhing in agony, was emblazoned, as if whatever was held within sought nothing more than to tear Tsukikage limb from limb.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, on one of the upper platforms reaching towards the night sky, Tsukikage spotted an Action Card and grabbed it. It was just what he needed to boot.

"Action Spell, _Acceleration_!" Tsukikage declared. "I negate the effect damage!"

At this, Woland just sneered. "Not without a price, boy…"

Reflecting his master's expression, Darkblood Mephisto sneered and withdrew his staff, before thrusting his left arm forward, the palms bathed in dark crimson energy…

Energy that now surrounded Tsukikage, causing the ninja to scream in pain. "ARRRGGGGGGHHHH!" He yelled.

It was horrible, as if his skin was being ripped off of his body, and the resulting flaying was being accompanied by salt being vigorously rubbed onto Tsukikage's wounds. Tsukikage crouched onto the platform he was on, trying his best to endure the pain.

"See, _Darkblood Mephisto_ has another effect." Woland explained. "Whenever you try to activate cards or effects, you have to pay 300 LP, so don't expect to get anything without bleeding a bit."

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 3700**

" _A-Acceleration_ still activates." Tsukikage managed, sweat dripping from his brow. "The effect damage is negated."

"Acknowledged." Woland shrugged, with Darkblood Mephisto aiming his staff into the air, before releasing the gathered energy.

Tsukikage grimaced as an enormous dark crimson pillar of energy that felt more akin to cold than heat fired into the air...but thankfully was not aimed at him. Watching as several of the altered platforms of _Crossover_ were destroyed by the powerful blast, the ninja was quite thankful that neither he nor Reira were caught up in it.

Looking down, it seemed that Woland had returned to his casual demeanor, but Tsukikage did not feel any relief for it. This man was dangerous, he was hiding something behind his rather unpredictable behavior. That affable guise was more than likely a front for a far more dangerous man, and the thought that Woland had yet more tricks up his sleeve greatly disturbed Tsukikage. Managing to stand up, the ninja jumped back down the ground, not wanting Woland to attack the still vulnerable Reira.

"Well then, obviously if I attack with my current board, I won't be able to wipe you out immediately…" Woland mused. "In which case, I activate _Monster Reborn_ and resurrect _Hexenacht Thrall Knight_!"

Appearing from the shadows in an ankh-shaped flashed, the brainwashed knight reappeared, sword pointed at Tsukikage's field.

**Hexenacht Thrall Knight/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1200**

"When _Thrall Knight_ is resurrected from the GY, I am allowed to add 1 'Hexenacht' Spell/Trap from my Deck to my hand." Woland explained. "With this, _Hexenacht Phylactery_ will be added to my hand. Oh, and before I forget, _Thrall Knight_ gains 200 ATK for each 'Hexenacht' monster in my GY. Since I have five, that's 1000 more ATK."

**Hexenacht Thrall Knight/ATK: 2800**

"No!" Tsukikage cried out.

"It's been fun, really it was." Woland sighed. "But it's time for you to be taken out. _Witch Avenger, Thrall Knight_ , eliminate those _Doppelganger Tokens_!"

Now Witch Avenger pulled out the blaster-end of her staff, firing a blast of blue fire that immediately destroyed the first Doppelganger in a small explosion, Tsukikage raising an arm to protect himself from the shrapnel. Thrall Knight then followed, slicing the non-resisting clone in two, leaving Tsukikage's field wide open.

" _Darkblood Mephisto,_ attack him directly!" Woland commanded.

Darkblood Mephisto cackled, holding both hands on his cane, before withdrawing the upper part from the lower part...revealing that just like his master, Darkblood Mephisto wielded a cane sword, with a similar blade, the only difference being that it was colored the same steel-grey as one might expect from a sword. Of course, as soon as the sword was drawn from its sheath, it began to glow blood red, leaking out a crimson aura that seemed to almost bleed from the blade.

Then, quick as a whip, Darkblood Mephisto seemed to dissolved into smoke...before this smoke rushed at Tsukikage with the force of a burning blaze, reforming into the well-dressed ghoulish demon, who raised his sword, ready to impale the ninja…

Only for _Twilight Ninja Shingetsu_ to appear in front of his master just as fast, blocking the sword-strike with his katana and wakizashi, both glowing a gentle blue to counteract the harsh red glow of _Darkblood Mephisto's_ sword.

The demon grimaced, trying to fight past the new opponent, but Shingetsu was able to endure the power of Mephisto's strikes, causing irritation to appear on the ghoulish monster's face.

"...What did you do?" Woland questioned.

Tsukikage panted heavily, the dark cursed aura he had been stricken with emanating from his body, eating away at him. But he looked at Woland resolutely, enduring the pain.

"I had to pay 300 LP, as per your monster's effect...but that was to activate the Trap, _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Return_. This card Special Summoned _Shingetsu_ from my GY in Defense Position, rendering him immune to destruction by battle and card effects, though I will have to return him to my hand when the Battle Phase ends."

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 3400**

**Twilight Ninja - Shingetsu/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 100**

"And of course I'm not using a monster that can inflict piercing damage." Woland sighed. "Return, _Mephisto_."

The demon frowned, glaring at Tsukikage, before jumping back over to Woland's field in a flash of smoke.

"I'll not conduct an attack with _Beelze_ either, thus moving onto my Main Phase 2." Woland confirmed.

"As such, _Shingetsu_ returns to my hand." Tsukikage replied in-turn, with the four-armed shinobi jumping back into his master's hand in a flash of blue light.

The hooded man pulled out the last card in his hand. "I will give you credit for surviving that assault, but don't think you're out of the woods just yet. I activate the Equip Spell, _Hexenacht Phylactery_. This card resurrects one 'Hexenacht' monster that was sent to the GY this turn and equips itself to that monster. With this, I'm bringing back _Hexenacht Spirit_ once again."

The blue-robed phantom arose again, before a long necklace of thin black rope, ending in a black gem with an intricate hexegram inscribed on it, wrapped around its neck.

**Hexenacht Spirit/DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0**

"Of course, he won't be back for long. I tune the Level 4 _Hexenacht Thrall Knight_ with the Level 3 _Hexenacht Spirit_ once again!"

The two monsters got into position, but just as with Mephisto, the Synchro rings that formed remained the usual green color, and the summoning pillar remained blue-white.

" _Keep an eye on the retinue, ensure the success of darkness! Synchro Summon! Show yourself now! Level 7,_ _ **Hexenacht Djinn Attendant**_ _!"_

A hand swept the energy aside, and as it faded, it quickly inverted to black, before turning into the same kind of dark blue cloak that the other Hexenachts all wore, albeit being rather narrow, draping itself around a woman with dark green eyes and long red hair, whose skin was a pale peach color, wearing almost next to nothing but tight dark-blue spandex on her arms and legs, with some armor adorning the spandex, along with some thin armored straps that ran up her torso and hid her private areas, but barely succeeding in the process and still revealing much of her bare flesh. Her hands were clawed, and from her waist were two large black bat-wings and a long black tail. Two black horns grew from her head, and on her neck was the same hexagram-engraved gem, blood-red in color, and fused into her skin, with lavender veins pulsing along her neck, being the one thing to scar her rather seductive and alluring appearance.

**Hexenacht Djinn Attendant/DARK/Level 7/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2300**

"When _Hexenacht Phylactery_ goes to the GY, I can draw 1 card." Woland announced, drawing his card and giving it a look.

Outwardly, Woland made sure to keep the same 'devil-may-care' face as he usually held unless summoning monsters of great significance...but inwardly, he felt nothing but annoyance as he looked at the card he had drawn. He knew what it was without having to look at it however; the throbbing on the right side of his face and his right arm told him exactly what he had drawn.

_**Earthbound Immortal - Uku Pacha** _

"Turn end." Woland sighed, placing the card in his hand, fully intending on ending the duel without the Jibakushin's 'help', or ditching the card at first opportunity.

Tsukikage analyzed Woland's field, outwardly showing no emotion when dealing with the monstrosities that the man had brought forth. Inwardly however, he could not help but feel great apprehension. The ninja was familiar with LDS' rapid Synchro techniques, but when used by a resident of the Synchro Dimension, he could not help but feel a greater amount of power and strategy when the technique was used. Woland had not only assembled a powerful offense, but also a defense, if his face-down cards were of any indication. Such power could've easily taken down the Obelisk Force that had annihilated the first group of Lancers, leaving Yuu Sakuragi as the sole survivor.

Or, now that he thought about it, that power could have defeated Sora Shiunin, the boy who had carded Hikage…

Tsukikage clenched his free hand into a fist. He and his older brother knew what they were signing up for, and had gone into their missions fully knowing that they might not survive...but that didn't erase the pain of learning that Hikage had fallen. Tsukikage remembered the formation that they had practiced in when it came to situations like this: Hikage would be the shining blade keeping up the offense, while Tsukikage would be the dark shield keeping up defense…

But now Hikage was gone, a victim of Academia. As such, when Reiji Akaba had made modifications to the decks of the Lancers to include Pendulum Summoning, Tsukikage had personally stepped in to request a certain change to honor his lost sibling.

The ninja looked at young Reira, who was still shivering, frozen in fear of Woland and his nightmarish field and monsters. Tsukikage re-focused his eyes at his opponent, knowing that whatever Woland's motivations, they were certainly malignant. The hooded man in the dark robes had had his eyes on Reira for some reason...and to ensure that Reiji Akaba would not endure the pain of losing a sibling, Tsukikage fully planned to use the upgrades to his deck to the fullest.

'For you, elder brother…' Tsukikage thought to himself as he began his turn.

"Sessha no turn...DRAW!" The ninja roared, drawing his card, preparing to make his counterattack.

* * *

To pass the time as the taxicab headed for the power-center of Neo-Domino City, Reiji contented himself to studying some of the remaining information Tsukikage had gathered, along with what the CEO himself had learned while filling out the documents.

_The Executive Council is the organization that formed as Domino City began the transition to Neo Domino City. Its five members, the esteemed Azul, Bordeaux, Gael, Gray, and the president known as White Taki, have remained there ever since, and have maintained the system for many years, overseeing the society of the City and ensuring that it remains as gloried as ever._

Reiji tapped a finger to his chin. Now here was an unknown variable. Names were good, but it seemed that whatever individual histories the members of the Executive Council had, that information was not disclosable. This was a tad annoying, as it meant that Reiji would not have any prior examples that he could use as levers to get onto the council's good side.

" _Recently, the Executive Council has been extending invitations to the 10th annual Friendship Cup. However, these have not been accepted, as several foreign duelists have been apprehensive of dueling the King, fearful of his power. At the moment, there are only whispers of letting some of the City's own elite duelists take up the mantle, though no candidates have been precisely decided upon yet. Many have even gone so far as to say that the tournament is nothing but a formality, considering Jack's skill and power."_

And just like that, Reiji knew that he had his bargaining chip.

As the taxi drove into the Executive district, the CEO had already formulated his argument in preparation of swaying the council members over to his way of thinking. Nodding curtly, Reiji tipped the taxi driver, and looked up to gaze at the headquarters of Neo Domino City's power structure.

The Level 12 District certainly seemed opulent enough to live up to the social status it seemed to promise. All around Reiji were buildings that seemed to be made of alloys that were reserved for experiments and/or agencies, not generally used in public construction. They were built like lattice structures, seeming so fragile, yet were likely far sturdier than the mass construction of slums all the way down below in the Commons. In front of Reiji was a cylindrical building that looked like it had been constructed from gold weaving, appearing very much like a futuristic crown from an alien society. The CEO privately considered this appropriate. What better way to illustrate how the Executive Council held the absolute authority in the city than to make their headquarters appear so otherworldly?

Pushing his glasses into place, Reiji walked up a flight of stairs that led to the entrance, finding himself in front of a rather narrow lobby that curved about. Several individuals, dressed in either opulent or professional attire, were discussing matters with men and women that wore identical white-and-grey suits with black bow ties, their eyes obscured from sight via a headgear that consisted of a tall white hat and green visor.

However, the person who came up to the CEO wore none of that clothing. Instead, it was a woman with short blue hair and golden eyes, wearing a professional grey-blue jacket over a white blouse and skirt, along with blue dangle earrings and brown heels, carrying a holographic clipboard/tablet.

"May I help you sir?" she asked curtly.

"My name is Reiji Akaba, I came with an appointment to discuss a matter with the Executive Council." Reiji replied.

"You will have to wait, I'm afraid, Mister Akaba." the woman said, checking Reiji in on her tablet. "There are several who wish to discuss cases with the Executive Council, but as you can see, that matter has to be determined via the Pages, and not all of them are available right now."

"In that case, they should get off their breaks and return to work then, as I did." a male voice put in calmly.

Both Reiji and the woman looked up, seeing a page wearing a near-identical outfit as the other pages walk up to them, an eerily calm smile on his face. However, there were subtle differences between his uniform and that of the other pages. Where the other pages wore their white suits open to reveal the grey vests and shirts beneath, this man kept his suit almost completely closed up. Instead of a black bowtie and grey vest, he wore a dark blue necktie over a blue office shirt. Instead of gloves, the man kept his pale hands bare, with his suit having long, sharp blue cuffs at the wrist area. Likewise, the fraying ends of his suit were blue from the bottom as opposed to gray like his co-workers.

But what truly struck out to Reiji was the man's demeanor. Unlike the other pages, who simply seemed to remain unemotive for their jobs, almost seeming worn out from the day-to-day complaints/paperwork, this man, even with his face hidden by his headgear, seemed quite determined and lively, as evident by the smile on his face.

"M-Mister Keshigasu!" The woman stammered. "I-I thought you were on break."

"You know what I'm like, Mikage, I'm dedicated to my position as Head Page." 'Mister Keshigasu' replied calmly, his voice carrying none of the exhaustion Reiji could gather from eavesdropping on the other conversations going on in the lobby. "If we have appointments, we must keep them, plain and simple." He then turned to Reiji. "Now, I believe you have a matter to discuss with the Executive Council? I'm afraid you will have to discuss that matter with me first before it is determined that it can be brought to their attention."

Mikage nodded, and hurried away, as if determined to get as far away from 'Mister Keshigasu' as possible.

"My apologies on Mikage's behalf, uh, Reiji Akaba, yes?" the man asked, holding up his own holographic projection tablet. "She always gets so jumpy when I'm around. But I can assure you that I am quite available for discussion. Please, let us discuss this matter in my office."

"Your office?" Reiji asked, raising an eyebrow as the page turned to walk away, indicating for the CEO to follow him. "I thought we would be discussing matters in the lobby."

"Well, I am the Head Page of the Executive Council's administration." The man chuckled. "It is thanks to that position that I have an office instead of those dreadful attendant stations. Ah, where are my manners? Good afternoon, my name is Shiro Keshigasu." Shiro said pleasantly as he and Reiji walked. "I am essentially the head of the bureaucrats who oversee those day-to-day operations that our dear Council members discuss with one another. They're quite pleasant, you know. White Taki in particular is always so...agreeable. "

"Well, I certainly hope that he is." Reiji replied curtly, taking in as much of Shiro's mannerisms and uniform as he could. "I believe I have an urgent matter for the Executive Council to discuss, so the sooner White Taki and I are in agreement about that matter, the better."

"Only if I determine that the matter IS critical enough to discuss with them." Shiro reminded Reiji sternly. "I notice that you filled out a form indicating that the matter deals with a potential...threat to the City? I do hope that it is an actual, substantial threat, and not some nonsense that we have a ramen shortage or that a single hooligan can take down the entire Security force. Ah, here we are."

Shiro opened the door to his office. As Reiji stepped in, he noticed that it was quite plain in design, placing heavy emphasis on grey and beige colors on the walls. On one wall was a flatscreen, on another, a window view of the City, with a steel-grey desk situated next to the window, leading to a set of shelves and cabinets, all of which either held books that were neatly stacked and organized, or were completely bare. The floor was a dull blue carpet, and the chairs were all made of black leather.

The man in white gestured for the man in the red scarf to sit, and so Reiji took his seat, with Shiro calmly doing the same, his smile not changing a bit as he did so.

"Now then, what is this threat that you have identified?" the Head Page asked pleasantly, but with a thin steel razor-edge to his voice, indicating that he would take no nonsense.

Reiji did not change his usual expression, instead crossing his arms as he decided to try to glean some information on current events from Shiro. "Before I do, I'd like to confirm that this…'hooligan' you spoke about...has nothing to do with myself or my subordinates. Though, I would like some context on this issue. Am I correct in assuming that he is the one called SPIRIT?"

Shiro clasped his hands together. "Indeed. He is nothing to be concerned with however. SPIRIT is simply an overly ambitious thug who became bold enough to strike at Security. That's honestly the only reason he made the news. It's a rare honor for the criminal rabble in the Commons, but nothing too troubling." He paused, then continued. "Also, you are dodging the issue...what is this 'threat' you speak of, if it is not SPIRIT?"

Reiji paused to think. Tsukikage had revealed that it was well-known, at least among those with access to the internet, that Roget was a 'foreigner'. Of course, Reiji figured that Roget was more than likely from Academia rather than another country...but did Shiro know that? If he was indeed the head of the 'bureaucrats in the back', then there was a high chance that the information had to have leaked out. Reiji would've preferred giving Shiro a vague answer for safety's sake, but the man was clearly not going to stand for anything that he perceived as nonsense. If Reiji was nebulous and walked around the issue of other Dimensions, Shiro was very likely to simply dismiss Reiji from his office.

Reiji knew that he had to gamble. But best stay coy for a bit to lead off on...

"I suppose that I should reply to your question with another question." The CEO said. "...I have learned that your head of Sector Security is a 'foreigner'. Which means I have to ask this question...are you familiar with alternate Dimensions?"

Shiro's face remained unchanged, his calm smile not vanishing for an instant. The office became quiet...very quiet. So quiet in fact, that the rumbling of Shiro's tablet projector was noticed by both men.

"Apologies, I need to take a look at this message." the Head Page sighed, pulling out the tablet projector and reading the message that had been sent to him.

The room remained quiet for several more seconds. Reiji could not read the message, as the projection was opaque on the side facing him, and Shiro's visor was non-reflect-able. Nor could he get a better read on Shiro's face, which continued to remain in a perpetual smile. So Reiji simply sat in his chair, and waited for Shiro to finish reading what he had been sent. The CEO mentally counted the seconds, trying to judge the Head Page's reaction.

Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty seconds passed before Shiro put the tablet projector away, his expression having not changed by even a centimetre. Clasping his hands again, the man in white seemed to think about what to say next.

"Well...I can't say I'm...unfamiliar with the concept." Shiro cautiously spoke. "Though, I do question how you know of this...it's a state secret after all."

Reiji did not let his usual frown change one bit as the admittance of the confidential information was confirmed. "If I told you that I came from another Dimension myself, wanting to stop a certain faction that clearly had ill-intent towards the Other Worlds...would you believe me?"

Shiro tapped his fingers. "...I am not... _un_ aware of Jean-Michel Roget's original residence." he admitted. "I know he is from what is called the Fusion Dimension. The entire Executive Council knows as well, as do several other officials whose positions necessitate that they work near the Council at all times. I keep a tight lid on that information however. If news of Other Worlds got out...it would certainly cause panic and affect the status quo, something that the Council wishes to prevent."

"Then, do you know of Academia?" Reiji asked, keeping that trait of the Council in mind.

"If you mean the school system Roget offered to the Tops, then yes, I do." Shiro replied. "Besides offering Real Solid Vision, Roget was also the one who originally proposed the institution of an elite Dueling Academy, something that the Tops ate up, as it appealed to the City's customs. That being said, the current Headmistress of the school started up a program for Commons a year after Jack Atlas' first Friendship Cup, and has received...more than a bit of backlash as a result. Several teachers even quit their job after the program was implemented…"

Reiji mentally filed that information away for later. The Synchro Academia had been in the data that Tsukikage had gathered, but the CEO had only skimmed over it, hoping to instead present it piece by piece to better understand that particular mystery.

"While that is...enlightening to hear about…" Reiji said calmly, "I do not refer to the Synchro Academia, but rather the one from Fusion...the one that is currently running a campaign to conquer the other Dimensions."

At this, Shiro seemed to show a sign of irritation, his smile turning into a frown, his teeth gritting in annoyance. "I...suspected as much." the Head Page sighed. "I unfortunately only know of the basics of Roget's origins. The Council and he had a...private conversation that has remained between them and Roget only. The finer details were never disclosed, only the basics for ease of reference."

"Then you seem to-" Reiji began, but Shiro held a hand up.

"I know what you are aiming for, sir." the Head Page said, his voice lowering, all traces of ease and civility gone, his face covered in a grotesque scowl. "You want to talk to the Council about the threat of this factor, don't you? Well, how are you to convince me that this factor is a threat to begin with? If the Council has already worked out a deal with Roget, how can you be so sure that we are not already allied with the Fusion Dimension? How can you word your argument so that I do not pass you off as a potential enemy? Or better yet perhaps, simply kill you where you stand?"

The man in white illustrated the point by pulling his duel disk out of his desk drawer: A pure white circular disk with a medium-sized touchscreen, with gold trim on the edges and three round gems set on the borders, one purple, one green, and one pitch-black, each arranged at the ends of an ornate silver triangle inscribed within the disk itself.

At this, Reiji's eyes widened. Should he pull out his duel disk in turn and fight Shiro off? If the Lancers were already compromised, what with the unknown threat Tsukikage was dealing with, as well as the idea that Synchro was already allied with Fusion, then perhaps it would be best to fight the Head Page and retreat.

But something stopped Reiji from doing so. Shiro's tone, and his words from mere minutes before, struck a chord with the CEO. He wanted Reiji to prove that there was a threat...but if Shiro already knew about Jean-Michel Roget's origins, why bother with the demonstration and words? Why not just go all the way and duel Reiji to the death right now?

It was then that Reiji realized that he had nearly forgotten the usual strategy when preparing to deal with unreasonable people; play on their level, find the levers to persuade them to get on his side…that was what the Head Page wanted to see.

Though...why Shiro wanted to test Reiji's behavior to begin with was something that currently eluded the CEO.

Regardless, the man in the red scarf cleared his throat. "I would question why you would take an enemy faction at face value. Why simply believe that you have worked out an alliance when they could just as easily stab you in the back? Especially when they have the power to do so? Why not simply eliminate you when you have outlived your usefulness? I believe that alone, counts as the risk of a threat. Why not simply ensure that you have...insurance? My organization, I fully believe, can offer you that."

Silence once more filled the blank office.

Then, after a few seconds, the calm smile returned to Shiro's face, and he calmly slid his duel disk back into the drawer.

"That, Mister Akaba, is quite the convincing argument." Shiro said happily. "I will send your request to the Council right away. Apologies for the...extreme measure, but we are in a most delicate situation regarding the Fusion Dimension, so I hope you can excuse my need to have a defensive measure at hand, and to ensure that you were not, pardon the crude term, 'talking out your ass'."

The CEO pushed his glasses into place. "Your reaction makes perfect sense to me. Were our positions reversed, I'd do the same."

Shiro chuckled at this, then pressed a button on his desk, causing the blinds on the window to close, blanketing the room in darkness, before the holographic images of five figures appeared behind Reiji, who turned around to see the Executive Council in all of their 'glory'.

Right away, Reiji noticed that all five of them were incredibly elderly. Wrinkles covered every face, and in the case of one member wearing a grey coat over an orange suit, bulging eyes as well. All of them, except for the eldest individual, who wore an elaborate white coat/cloak, his eyebrows being so long, that they were braided, wore stern/unfathomable expressions, clearly indicating that they were the highest authority in Neo Domino City and would appear as such.

" _What is the matter, Shiro?_ " the man wearing yellow/golden robes asked, his head covered in a large cap with long, golden ends.

" _Is this issue urgent?"_ the man with the bulging eyes asked.

" _Who is this individual?_ " the sole woman among them questioned. She wore a fancy blue robe and small blue hat with a turquoise gem embroidered in the center.

" _Is it about the Friendship Cup?"_ the man with a rather large forehead and red/dark-orange robes inquired. _"Or is it another matter entirely? What are your thoughts, chairman?"_

Reiji looked at the man in the center. He was most certainly White Taki.

White Taki stroked his chin in thought, considering what was going on. _"I will admit, I was not expecting an appointment today, but if it is from you, Shiro-san, I expect that it is important."_

"Indeed it is." Shiro nodded. "The man before you has information concerning...Jean-Michel Roget's Dimension of origin. I request that you hear him out."

The five council members looked at each other, then down at Reiji.

" _...I see…"_ White Taki mused. _"How much does this man know?"_

"I know that Jean-Michel Roget came from the Fusion Dimension, more specifically, as an advance agent from the military organization known as Academia, who desire to conquer the Other Worlds." Reiji put in. "I know that he has helped contribute to the growth of your City's system, as well as the likely possibility that you have worked out a deal with him regarding the current situation. I am here to offer you an alternative that I believe would work out in your favor far more than whatever Roget has offered."

" _He knows quite a bit…"_ the yellow-robed man muttered.

" _He knows that much about Academia, does he?"_ the man with the bulging eyes questioned rhetorically.

" _You are...well-informed."_ the sole woman mused.

" _Perhaps we should discuss this matter in person...your thoughts, Chairman?_ " the red-robed man asked.

" _Indeed. We will hear out your case...uh…"_ White Taki began, trailing off as he did not know the CEO's name.

"Reiji Akaba." the CEO confirmed.

" _Well then Reiji, we will listen to what you have to say to us. Please wait in Shiro's office while we send attendants to fetch you."_ White Taki smiled, before the holograms faded and light returned to the room.

"This is quite the rare honor." Shiro chuckled, clasping his hands again. "Congratulations, Mister Akaba. It is not very often that the Council sees people concerning these matters. The last one who did was in fact, the Synchro Academy's headmistress herself. Quite the headstrong woman, that one."

Reiji pushed his glasses into place. "Whether it is rare or not, I would rather that our goals be seen through. If there is a problem, it must be solved, plain and simple."

Shiro paused, face briefly frowning again, before the smile returned to his face. "Well, it seems that there is a trait you and I share then." he murmured to himself quietly, in an approving tone of voice.

Just then, two attendants entered the room. Both of them were male, and were dressed identically to the other pages.

"The Council would like to see you now." the one on Reiji's left said.

Reiji nodded, and got up, only for Shiro to raise a hand. "Ah, before you go, do please push the chair in. I prefer my office to be neat and clean, if you don't mind."

Without missing a beat, Reiji did as Shiro requested, and left with the attendants, closing the door behind him.

It was then that Shiro slowly got up from his chair, and quietly locked the door to his office. Then, he removed his headgear and placed it on his desk, unveiling a head of azure-white hair, topped off with sharp bangs of Prussian-blue. Shiro next turned to a space on the wall with the screen. He would actually use that display very soon...but first...he had to air out his irritation.

"DAMNABLE! INCOMPETENT! ABERRATIONS!" Shiro spat, punctuating each word by slamming his fist into the wall.

The man in white opened his grey eyes, which burned with intense anger, ignoring the pain on his knuckles, which did not bleed, owing to how that section of the wall had been specifically designed as a stress-reliever. Shiro did not enjoy this new...complication, and the rather sloppy effort being made to contain it.

It was...very infuriating.

* * *

Tsukikage looked at the card he had drawn, eyes remaining as still as possible. This was the card he had been hoping to obtain. But to use it, he had to get Woland's LP down to a decent enough level. Without hesitation, the ninja pulled two cards from his hand.

"As per your _Darkblood Mephisto's_ effect, I pay 600 LP…" Tsukikage said, grimacing as the pain of the crimson curse ran through him. "And with that payment made, I set the Scale 1 _Twilight Ninja Jogen,_ and the Scale 10 _Twilight Ninja Kagen_ in the Pendulum Scale!"

Tsukikage slammed the cards onto the far-ends of his duel disk, causing the word PENDULUM to appear upon it in large rainbow-colored lettering.

On his left, there was a warrior wearing black-and-golden armor, wielding an enormous chain-and-sickle, while on the right, there was a large jester-like monster, his beefy arms wielding two large blade-like claws. Both of them were encased in pillars of blue light, and rose high into the sky, with the numbers '1' and '10' appearing below them respectively. A small line of blue energy, as if trying to draw a circle, manifested itself between them, in the heavens that had also turned blue.

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 2800**

**Twilight Ninja Jogen/Scale 1**

**Twilight Ninja Kagen/Scale 10**

**PENDULUM**

"With this, I can simultaneously summon 'Ninja' monsters whose Levels go from 2 to 9!" Tsukikage declared resolutely.

"You mean you don't need long combos that are a complete chore to read, write, and play through?!" Woland spluttered in disbelief.

" _Pendulum Shoukan! Appear now, my monsters! From the Extra Deck, be reborn!_ _ **Twilight Ninja - Yoru**_ _! And from my hand,_ _ **Twilight Ninja Gekko, the Chunin, Twilight Ninja Yuhi, the Chunin,**_ _and finally,_ _ **Twilight Ninja Shingetsu**_ _!"_

The circle in-between the two ninjas opened, unveiling a portal that seemed to make the sky tear itself apart, before four rays of colors shot down: Blue, purple, green, and red. The blue and purple rays soon dissipated, to reveal both Shingetsu and Yoru, ready for action once more.

**Twilight Ninja - Yoru/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000/Scale 3**

**Twilight Ninja - Shingetsu/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 100**

The green ray dissipated to reveal the body of a large man, his body primarily a pale blue color, wearing only a dark-grey chest armor plate and pants, his face masked by a helmet with a large circle atop it, very much like that of a full moon. The large ninja got into fighting position, unveiling a _shakujo_ , the tool used by monks in ancient times, brandishing it at his enemy.

**Twilight Ninja Gekko, the Chunin/DARK/Level 6/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 2000/Scale 5**

Finally, the red ray vanished to unveil a thinner individual, but still more muscular than Shingetsu and Yoru. He was covered in dark armor that completely covered his body, not unlike that of Jogen above him. However, he wore a long dual-colored scarf on his neck, that he almost seemed able to manipulate at will. Likewise, he wielded several kunai within his fingers, clearly intending to throw them at Woland and his forces.

**Twilight Ninja Yuhi, the Chunin/DARK/Level 6/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1600/Scale 7**

Four ninjas versus four demons. In a way, it was rather poetic.

"At this moment, I activate the effects of _Gekko_ and _Yoru_!" Tsukikage declared. "First _Gekko,_ then _Yoru_!"

Woland laughed. "That's perfectly fine! _Darkblood Mephisto_ will just chain to each of them and take out another 600 of your LP!"

"ARGH!" Tsukikage hacked, feeling the dark magic of the devil's curse once again. It was incredibly painful, but he could endure it...especially since he was about to break the curse entirely.

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 2200**

" _Yoru's_ effect...it resolves first." Tsukikage groaned. "When he is Pendulum Summoned, I may destroy any one monster on the field!"

Woland's eyes widened as he realized who Tsukikage would have Yoru aim for. "Oh crap!"

"Destroy _Mephisto_!" Tsukikage ordered.

Without wasting a heartbeat, Yoru swung his black katana at Darkblood Mephisto, unleashing a wave of shadows that cut through the demon in an instant. Strangely enough however, Mephisto hardly seemed worried by his fatal injury, looking more annoyed than anything, taking his destruction with a surprising amount of grace as he vanished.

"Tch…" Woland grimaced, clicking his tongue. "In response to _Darkblood Mephisto's_ destruction, I activate the Trap, _Corrupt Synchro_! When you destroyed _Mephisto_ , this card lets me draw twice, but since _Mephisto_ is not a certain...type of Synchro Monster, I have to skip my next Draw Phase."

Woland drew his cards, and studied them. His eyes widened with a cheeky glow, as he had drawn exactly the card he had wanted...

Tsukikage, for his part, continued his turn unperturbed. "Next, _Gekko's_ effect is that when he is Pendulum Summoned, I may add a Level 5 or higher 'Ninja' monster from my Deck to my hand!" he revealed. "I choose to add _Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shogun_! And now, I Tribute both _Yuhi_ and _Shingetsu_ to Advance Summon _Getsuga_!"

The two ninjas dissolved into particles, to be replaced by a new armored individual who towered over the remainder. Golden light shone as this new ninja revealed himself, having an additional right arm, which wielded an enormous halberd with an elaborate blade at the end. His left arm was adorned with a large blue shield, a golden crescent adorned his masked face, which only revealed a single red eye, and two large green flags, along with a green cape, hung from his back. All in all, he seemed to fit his title of 'Shogun' quite well.

**Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shogun/DARK/Level 8/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 3000**

Woland looked at the monster, puzzled. "...So...you...got rid of your lock monster and the monster with the objectively better ATK...for that thing?"

Tsukikage ignored Woland as a card was ejected from the ninja's duel disk. "When _Yuhi_ leaves the field, I am allowed to add 1 "Ninjitsu Art" Spell/Trap from my Deck or GY to my hand. I chose to add _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Arrows_!"

"...So you wanted to search...and made sure you had a monster whose effects wouldn't be hit by _Mephisto's_ cost…" Woland murmured to himself softly. "Good choice of tactics then…"

"Next is _Getsuga's_ effect! By switching him to Defense Position, I am allowed to Special Summon 2 'Ninja' monsters from my GY! I choose my two _Twilight Ninja Shingetsus_! Return to your Shogun now!"

Getsuga immediately got into a defensive stance, sitting down as three enormous cloth banners, each with an orange cloud painted on them, opened before him. From the two banners flanking the Shogun, his two four-armed subordinates returned, identical to one another completely.

**Twilight Ninja Shingetsu/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 100 x2**

"That lock again?" Woland mused. However, seeing Tsukikage slam a card into his duel disk quickly got him out of his thoughts.

"I activate the Continuous Spell, _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Arrows_!" Tsukikage declared. "By sending a card I add to my hand to the GY, I will reduce the ATK and DEF of all of my opponent's monsters by 500!"

Without another word, the dueling ninja shot upwards, climbing each platform searching for an Action Card. Woland however, was not far behind, immediately following his opponent into the night sky. He saw Tsukikage somersault onto a platform, and kicked into high gear, increasing his speed as he rushed at the ninja, planning to knock him off the platform and snag the Action Card for himself…

When Tsukikage instead jumped off the platform's edge, dodging Woland entirely as the dark figure secured the Action Card, which happened to be _Cursed Crystal._

Woland thus watched as Tsukikage dove for a lower platform, snagging an Action Card that the Shadowman had missed entirely! That now meant…

"I now discard 1 card!" Tsukikage declared, depositing the _Miracle_ he had obtained into the GY. " _Hazy Arrows_!"

Woland was helpless as dozens of arrows, totaling up to 80 had he been able to count them all, shot upwards from Tsukikage's spell, before they rained down upon his field. Djinn Attendant hissed as the arrows pierced her flesh, while Witch Avenger grimaced as several stuck into her arms and legs, immobilizing her. Beelze roared in pain as its enormous body took the brunt of the arrows, piercing the scales of the immense dragon's serpent shoulder-heads.

**Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons/ATK: 2500**

**Hexenacht Witch Avenger/ATK: 1900**

**Hexenacht Djinn Attendant/ATK: 2000**

Looking down, Woland saw that Tsukikage was already heading back up into the sky, searching for more Action cards. An idea then lit up in the Shadowman's head, and sneering grimly, he slammed the _Cursed Crystal_ into his Duel disk.

"Action Spell, _Cursed Crystal_!" Woland roared. "I take 600 damage!"

A dark, corrosive aura soon began affecting the dark figure, who took a knee onto the ground as he felt the poison work its way, however briefly, into his body.

**WOLAND LP: 2500**

"Now...intercept him _Beelze_!" Woland commanded.

The woman in the center of the massive draconic construct screamed, flexing her arms as the same aura surrounding her master worked its way into her. But instead of feeling pain, Beelze instead began to gather strength, with the two serpent shoulder-heads roaring as they began to flex, snapping the arrows that had pierced them and thickening with muscle. Then, they all looked at Tsukikage, who had just found another Action card, and quick as a whip, the two heads snapped at the ninja, who barely managed to dodge just in time, landing back down on the ground.

Smirking, Woland jumped down from his platform, withdrawing his sword...but he wasn't aiming for Tsukikage…

He was aiming for Reira, diving down, ready to spear the brat like a pig on a spit.

Tsukikage looked up, and his eyes widened in horror as he saw Woland diving for Reira. Now, an ordinary person would not be fast enough to intercept Woland...but Tsukikage was not ordinary. His training had enabled the development of his reflexes to the point where registering Woland's intentions came to him as quickly as if Woland had stopped to gloat about it. Putting as much strength into his legs as possible, Tsukikage rushed for Reira, who felt the cold of Woland grow stronger, causing her to look up in abject terror as the Shadowman aimed his blade at her.

Gritting his teeth, Tsukikage immediately whipped his scarf, generating a gust of wind that surrounded Reira, who barely seemed to register it. By the time she did however…

She was safe in Tsukikage's arms, the ninja barely getting out of the way as Woland pounced atop a decoy log, splintering it into pieces.

Reira blinked, breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating as she realized that she was safe once again thanks to Tsukikage. She gripped the ninja's waist as tight as possible, not wanting to look at the horrifying monsters that surrounded them.

"You bastard! Have you no honor!?" Tsukikage spat. "How dare you attack Reira-dono like that!"

Woland however, did not seem to register Tsukikage's rage. Instead he examined the sable blade of his cane-sword, checking for scratches.

"Answer me!" the ninja ordered, holding Reira to him protectively.

Woland shrugged, before weaving through the platforms, jumping down to a bit behind his starting point of the duel, but very much on his side again. He looked at Tsukikage with an amused expression, chuckling as he rose up and sheathed his sword.

"Well, nothing personal...it's just that my boss ordered that we kill that brat. She's considered to be a bit of a…loose-end at the moment."

"Loose-end?" Tsukikage all but spluttered as he jumped back to his side of the field. "What on earth makes Reira-dono a loose end?"

Woland tapped his chin with the head of his cane, as if determining how much to say. "Let's just say that my boss is...rather touchy with certain subject matters. He's always wanting loose ends and the like to be tied up, like that brat from Czechoslovakia that a certain associate failed to deal with, leaving the prize with LDS."

Tsukikage's eyes widened in horror as an idea, terrifying simply by existing, came to his mind as he registered the implication of Woland's words.

"Who are you working with?" he asked gravely, unable to stop a note of panic from entering his voice. "What do you want?!"

"Hmm…" Woland sneered. "We are known as...Yliaster. As to what it is that we are after...well...I'm sure you'll find all the answers out soon enough. Continue your turn. Don't worry, I won't try to kill the brat again...at least...not until you lose, at which point I'll have _Beelze_ over here eat you alive, then I'll tear the brat limb from limb and toss the remains into the quay."

"I will not let you lay a single finger on Reira-dono." Tsukikage declared, letting the child down, but letting her cling to his leg.

"That'll be a promise difficult to keep when you're dead." Woland sneered. "Don't you agree, _Beelze_?"

The draconic demon roared, having completely shrugged off its wounds in comparison to Woland's other monsters, whose backs had bent as they struggled to stay upright.

**Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons/ATK: 3100**

"H-how did your monster's ATK increase?" Tsukikage stammered.

"Hmm…" Woland hummed. "Ah, I might as well tell you. It'll be a good advance warning for your friend, the Hakaishin. And the Sozoushin too if the need arises. _Beelze's_ effect is that she cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effect, and following on this, anytime I take damage, whether it be battle or effect damage, she gains that amount of damage as ATK!"

Tsukikage looked up at the monster in horror. Woland had summoned an indestructible monster just like that? The only ways then, to deal with it, would be to either return it to the Extra Deck or negate its effects, but none of the cards on Tsukikage's field had that capability. Even worse, that meant that the beast could shrug off the Hazy Arrows, and endure all of Tsukikage's attacks...not to mention the fact that Woland had casually revealed this information. Was he that confident in his victory? Or did his deck contain creatures that dwarfed even Beelze? And what did he mean by 'Hakaishin' and 'Sozoushin'? Who were they?

The ninja grimaced, with Reira shaking in pure terror. They were truly stuck between a rock and a hard place...but in that case...there was only one way to get out.

Breakthrough.

"I enter my Battle Phase!" Tsukikage declared. "I'll start by having _Gekko_ attack _Hexenacht Witch Avenger_!"

Gekko twirled his monk's staff, before jumping at Witch Avenger, whose eyes glowed a bright shade of blue as she tore the arrows out of her body, brandishing her own staff as a challenge. However, just before the two could clash, Tsukikage pointed at the Pendulum card to his left.

"I activate the Pendulum effect of _Twilight Ninja Kagen_! When a 'Ninja' attacks, it gains 1000 ATK!"

**Twilight Ninja Gekko, the Chunin/ATK: 3200**

When the two monsters clashed, Gekko's increased strength enabled him to snap Witch Avenger's staff in a single blow, the glowing edges of the _shakujo_ cutting into Witch Avenger in the process. The sorceress grimaced, glaring daggers at the chunin as she dissolved into particles. Beelze however, roared in vengeful anger, her dragon heads snapping at Gekko, who immediately retreated to safety, barely avoiding not just two, but four dragon heads, all of which roared fiercely at the ninjas.

**WOLAND LP: 1200**

**Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons/ATK: 4400**

"Next, I'll have _Yoru_ attack _Djinn Attendant_!"

Yoru made a fast dash for Woland's other monster. The succubus growled, flexing her claws, flying at the ninja, dark energy gathered in her hands. There was a clash as the two flew past each other...and then silence for a moment. Then a gash opened up in Djinn Attendant's chest, causing her to vanish in purple mist. However, Yoru too, had been wounded...more specifically, Djinn Attendant had managed to tear out half of his torso with her claws. The dark ninja collapsed and faded away into a puddle of shadows, dead in a mutual strike.

"Of course, when _Yoru_ is destroyed, a Level 4 or lower 'Ninja' is Special Summoned from my Deck in Defense Position!" Tsukikage exclaimed. "I chose to Special Summon _Ninja Grandmaster Hanzo_!"

A new ninja warrior jumped out of the pool of darkness that Yoru had left behind, revealing a man with a black suit and armor, red tomoe decorating the plates of armor that adorned his shoulders and knees, along with the headpiece over his cloth-like mask. Getting into a defensive stance, the new ninja held himself in a tighter, secure position, seeming to indicate perhaps a greater amount of experience compared to most of his current associates.

**Ninja Grandmaster Hanzo/DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000**

"When _Hanzo_ is Special Summoned, I can add another 'Ninja' monster from my Deck to my hand." Tsukikage explained. "I chose to add _Twilight Ninja Yozora, the Jonin_!"

"And I choose to chain with my Trap Card, _Hexenacht Pyre_!" Woland countered, flipping up a trap card indicating a massive bonfire of blue flames reaching up into the sky of the Brocken Peak.

" _Hexenacht Pyre's_ effect resurrects one 'Hexenacht' monster in my GY, and if I happen to bring back a Synchro Monster, my trap will re-set itself instead of going to the GY! So resurrect, _Hexenacht Djinn Attendant!_ "

Tsukikage was helpless to watch as an eruption of blue fire burst from the ground, before a clawed hand swept the flames away, revealing Djinn Attendant, returned to the field and no worse for the wear after her mutual strike with Yoru. The succubus gave Hanzo a pointed glare, as if she was disappointed that he had taken the place of the man who had struck her down.

**Hexenacht Djinn Attendant/DARK/Level 7/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2300**

"Since _Djinn Attendant_ is a Synchro Monster, _Hexenacht Pyre_ will set itself back onto my field." Woland smirked.

Tsukikage grimaced under his mask. He looked at his hand, knowing that there was only one shot of getting out of this mess. He took a step back, startling Reira, but gave the child a kind look, or at least as much of one he could give with most of his face covered up.

"Don't worry Reira-dono. I will get you out of here and back to your brother."

Reira's eyes widened, the girl finding herself only able to nod in response.

Tsukikage turned back to Woland. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."

"Then it is my turn." Woland taunted. "Of course, _Corrupt Synchro_ makes it so that I can't draw. Thankfully, everything I need is already in my hand."

" _Excellent!_ " Uku Pacha boomed from within Woland. _"You have two Tributes for My Advent! Sacrifice them now, Woland, and I shall grant you the victory your 'superior' desires!"_

Everything turned dark as Woland mentally retreated. The field, his opponent, all of it vanished into a pink-purple void as he entered the mental realm. The Shadowman looked behind him, seeing a mass of dark purple energy, vaguely appearing as a figure with enormous hands, looming over him.

" **Well? Summon Me!"** Uku Pacha demanded.

Woland gave the spirit a pointed stare. "And why in all of the levels of Hell should I do that?"

" **You know as well as I do that the ninja has prepared a trap! By summoning Me to the field, you will bypass it entirely and slay the ninja and the aberration your master so despises in a single blow!"**

"Oh? And if I do that, can I trust you not to plunge the brat's soul into your specific section of the Underworld where another of your kind will most _certainly_ try to make some kind of Deal with her?"

" **You distrust me on that angle…"**

"Duh." Woland confirmed, rolling his eyes. "When we dealt with the Duelist Crusher, it was so much of a hassle just resurrecting him without you trying to either A) Jump out of my body and switch over to him, or B) Try to throw him into a deeper level of the Underworld so you could make HIM into a you-know-what, which would NOT have helped our plans!"

" **And you think that the brat is a more worthy host of My Brethren?"**

"An individual who's seen so much death and destruction she's basically an empty shell? An occurrence that caused unconscious refining of her spiritual potential, making her a near-perfect spiritual conduit? If I kill her while you're active, that'll basically hand your kind the ideal host and throw this whole thing off-rails! I mean, yeah, throwing things off the rails is the best summation of our plan, but that's only to make sure that the idiotic future that only an evolutionsbremse like Leo Akaba can cause doesn't happen! Not to give you and your brethren your second coming!"

" **That brat is still just a child."** Uku Pacha all but scoffed. **"You are overthinking this. Now, SUMMON ME!"**

But Woland resisted the sudden booming of his 'partner's' voice, and the compulsion to follow the order to just summon the Direct-Attack monster and end the duel already. But still, the Shadowman resisted. After all, he was a Devil himself, quite capable of speaking to other demons on...relatively even terms. Not to mention he had something that a certain 'Professor' did not have: Awareness of the World's past.

"As I recall, all the way back when, Aslla Piscu had no qualms possessing a weak, pathetic nerd. And as I also recall, ol' Tezcatilipoca rejected the offer Hel and I gave to him, simply because he found our proposal to be beneath his status, and went after the guy who he thought could give him all the power in the world! Then he got the tables turned on him and now he's the King's servant, not the King's God."

" **We do not need to discuss these matters!"** Uku Pacha boomed angrily.

"Oh no…" Woland grimaced, turning around as he felt himself return to the physical plane. "We did need to discuss those matters…"

Woland saw where his hand was. Already it was reaching for Uku Pacha's card. But Woland had no intention to play the monster that he saw as a brick draw when there were far more practical powers out there in his Extra Deck. So instead, he grabbed the middle card in his hand, and without question, slammed it into his duel disk.

"I activate the Spell, _Allure of Darkness_!" Woland announced. "This card lets me draw two cards, but then I have to banish a DARK monster, or I lose my entire hand!"

Woland drew his cards, then feathered through his hand. Already he could feel the anger of the Jibakushin simmering within him. Especially in his right arm, which honestly felt like it had been set ablaze as the beast within him refused to be taken out of the fight.

" _ **NO! NO! SUMMON ME! DON'T YOU DARE BANISH ME, MEPHISTOPHELES!"**_

But Woland was daring to do that, and he did. "For the cost of _Allure of Darkness_ , I choose to banish _Earthbound Immortal - Uku Pacha_!"

" _ **DAMN YOU!"**_ The dark entity roared, sending waves of white-hot pain throughout Woland, but his screams grew weaker as his card vanished into the banishing spiral, and as soon as it had begun, the pain began to fade.

Woland took a deep breath, feeling relief as his body seemed to get back to normal.

"Ah...I can finally hear myself think again." he sighed with relief. "I'll now continue my turn by using the effect of _Hexenacht Brocken Peak_ to send _Hexenacht Hauntghost_ from my Deck to the GY. This of course, triggers _Hauntghost's_ effect. The moment he hits the GY thanks to the effect of a 'Hexenacht' card, I'm allowed to immediately Special Summon him! Appear!"

A new blue-cloaked phantom appeared onto the field. Transparent at first, more of his body slowly became visible. Several wisps of blue fire surrounded him, and when he looked up, Tsukikage felt a great need to vomit. The monster's face had more flesh on it than Hexenacht Spirit, but Hauntghost's face looked like it was still in the process of rotting. The hexagram-engraved gem common to the Hexenacht monsters was also fused into the monster's left eye socket, with dark red veins growing from the implant.

**Hexenacht Hauntghost/DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 0**

"And when _Hauntghost_ is brought back through the effect of a 'Hexenacht' card, I can draw again!" Woland revealed, drawing his card with a flourish. "Next, I discard _Hexenacht Smoker_ to once again resurrect _Hexenacht Spirit_!"

Depositing the monster into the GY, Hexenacht Spirit reappeared in a flurry of blue flames, once again prepared for action.

**Hexenacht Spirit/DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0**

"Now, I Normal Summon _Hexenacht Witch_!"

Woland's new monster, to Tsukikage, looked like a younger version of Hexenacht Witch Avenger. The other differences were that instead of a gun-like staff, she wielded a simple black wand and her hat was smaller. Likewise, her expression was slightly more careful than her older self.

**Hexenacht Witch/DARK/Level 3/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1300**

"When _Witch_ is Summoned, I can add 1 'Hexenacht' monster from my GY or that is banished to my hand! I choose _Hexenacht Necromancer_!" Woland pulled the card out of his GY, displaying it to Tsukikage with a sneer. "And of course, now that I have the appropriate materials, I tune the Level 3 _Hexenacht Hauntghost_ and _Hexenacht Witch_ with the Level 3 _Hexenacht Spirit_!"

"A Level 9 Synchro monster!" Tsukikage realized, watching the three monsters gather into the regular Synchro Summon formation.

" _Mentor of the art of war! On this battlefield, cast a shadow of ruin! By my commands, lay waste to everything! Synchro Summon! Descend, Level 9,_ _ **Hexenacht Warculler**_ _!"_

Tsukikage crouched down, protecting a crying Reira from the wind and shockwaves emanating from the pillar of blue energy. Keeping an eye on the field, an enormous form manifested from the pillar, tall enough to rival Beelze. The demonic being had a pale white face of expressionless black pits for eyes. His armor covered his arms and shoulders with gauntlets and pads, while a tunic covered his legs, which were completely bare. But they ended in twisted, sharp demonic talons, so there was really no need. His armor was adorned with the usual hexagram-engraved gems associated with the other Hexenachts, and one of these gems was embedded in his forehead, almost like a third eye. The demon's grey muscular flesh pulsed as he unveiled a pair of black-and-white bat wings from his back, large enough to drape over his form. His clawed hands flexed, clearly eager for battle.

**Hexenacht Warculler/DARK/Level 9/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2800**

"The moment _Warculler_ is Special Summoned, one card in your hand or on your field is sent straight to the GY!" Woland cackled. "I'll be taking out one of your _Twilight Ninja Shingetsus_! Dark Assassination!"

Warculler growled, blue fire emanating from his hands, before it started to change shape into a whip...and just like that, the enormous demon swung the whip into Tsukikage's field, tearing one of the Shingetsus apart, the pieces quickly turning to ashes.

"Oh, and if _Warculler_ hits a monster, half of that monster's ATK gets taken out of your LP!"

"GRAGGGHH!" Tsukikage yelled as the whip of fire slammed into his body, before wrapping around it like a thorny vine...and before Warculler pulled the flames back, causing them to cut into Tsukikage's clothes and skin. "ARRGGGHHHH!" The ninja wailed in pain. It was like having a white-hot knife cut into his skin, flaying him alive...pain that kept on remaining. It took every ounce of strength the ninja had not to falter, staggering as he attempted to stay upright.

"T-Tsukikage!" Reira cried out in alarm, seeing the ninja's injuries.

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 1450**

"Now behold, ninja, the retinue of Hell!" Woland exclaimed. " _Hexenacht Spirit_ is banished as per his effect, sending _Hexenacht Informant_ to the GY! Likewise, _Witch's_ second effect activates, where her usage in the Synchro Summon of a DARK monster puts a 'Hexenacht' Spell/Trap from my GY into my hand, such as my _Hexenacht Phylactery_!"

Stretching a hand to his field, Woland then grinned madly.

"And with the little things done and over with, I activate _Hexenacht Pyre_ again to resurrect _Hexenacht Witch Avenger_!"

The flames swarmed around the field once more, until they were swept away by the return of the blue witch, her stern look remaining on her face.

**Hexenacht Witch Avenger/DARK/Level 7/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100**

"And now behold, the effect of _Djinn Attendant_!" Woland boasted. "I resurrect one DARK Synchro Monster from my GY! You know what that means! I resurrect _Darkblood Mephisto_!"

Dark energy gathered in Djinn Attendant's hands, before she blasted it onto the field, forming the Hexenacht hexagram, which opened a purple portal, from which a large wisp of black smoke shot out, flying onto the field, right next to Djinn Attendant. With a sweep of his hands, the smoke faded, revealing the top-hatted devil himself, as if nothing had happened. He bowed to Tsukikage, which the ninja felt was a deliberate mockery.

**Darkblood Mephisto/DARK/Level 8/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 1300**

"No! NOOOOO!" Reira cried, clinging to Tsukikage even more tightly than before, completely terrified of the demonic retinue that Woland had gathered. "Please! Stop! Go away!"

"You have a duel disk, squirt." Woland sneered. "All you have to do is activate it! I'm not allowed to attack a duelist who hasn't gone yet, anyways. It'd make things more entertaining anyways!"

"N-no...No!" Reira cried, turning away, tears streaming down her face in fear.

Woland scoffed in disgust. "Tch, annoying brat. Now I'm starting to see why the boss wants you dead. That crying is pissing me off."

Tsukikage looked down. True, Reira stepping into the duel was a potential option...but after having been mentally assaulted by whatever trick Woland pulled off, not to mention nearly being skewered by the dark figure, and facing off a rather imposing field that even Tsukikage admitted was more than a bit intimidating, especially considering how quickly and easily Woland had rebuilt his field, the ninja knew that Reira was all too frightened to even attempt it. Especially since Woland had promised to kill both of them if they should lose.

"You've no right to assault the audience." Tsukikage said bluntly. "Continue your turn."

At that moment, an enormous talwar manifested in Warculler's hand, and then the demon dug it into the field, underneath Woland in a manner akin to a forklift.

"As you wish." Woland said, not having a drop of levity in his voice.

It was then that Warculler flung the talwar into the air, throwing his master up into the sky, whereupon he spotted an Action card atop of a platform. The card was _Miracle_ , but as Woland took the card into his hand and landed back onto the field, he could hardly consider it as such. Tsukikage was too preoccupied defending Reira to look for any more Action cards to use as fodder for _Hazy Arrows_ if he wanted to use it, and even if he did, he'd only have enough time to grab one, which would be plenty of time for Woland's retinue to tear apart Tsukikage's remaining monsters.

"Well then, I hope you two have said your prayers…" Woland growled. "BATTLE! _Hexenacht Warculler,_ destroy the second _Twilight Ninja Shingetsu_ and the rest of his Life Points!"

Warculler raised his talwar into the air, the blade charged with dark blue energy, intending to chop the ninjas in half. And just like that, the demon brought the blade down, thus ending the duel…

Or rather, _would_ have ended the duel had a barrier of white-mist energy not surrounded Tsukikage's field, intercepting the attack.

Woland's eyes bugged out of his head. "What the? What is this!?"

Tsukikage panted in pain as the dark curse of Darkblood Mephisto ran through him, but with a triumphant glow in his eyes all the same. A trap card was face-up on his field, glowing with a powerful light indicating that it had been activated. "The answer is simple: _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Dragon_. When you target a 'Ninja' for an attack or effect, I discard 1 card, and negate that attack and/or effect. Then, the monster you targeted is destroyed...and we both take damage equal to its ATK! _Shingetsu's_ ATK is 1500, so both you and I will be taking 1500 damage!"

Now, at long last, Woland seemed to panic, eyes widened with shock. The dark figure trembled, looking down at his hand. Not because he had a card to counter the trap; he didn't, but because of the fact that since _Miracle_ was in his hand and could not be activated...he couldn't find an alternative that could block the damage.

"N-no way…" he muttered.

" _I told you so…"_ the voice of Uku Pacha grumbled, but with a hint of amusement, as if taking joy in Woland's dilemma.

**Tsukikage LP: 1150**

"GO! _ILLUSION NINJITSU ART OF HAZY DRAGON!_ END THIS DUEL!"

The misty barrier began to shift and change form, before taking in more substance, appearing as a massive serpentine dragon. This beast had none of the horrific features of Beelze, instead appearing far more majestic and graceful. Shingetsu clapped his hands together as the dragon's body curved around him, their auras merging into one...and then, at that moment, Shingetsu slammed his four arms into the ground…

Creating a massive explosion of air that rippled through the field, destroying everything. The platforms of Crossover, the mountain peak and sky of the Brocken Peak, and even all of the monsters, not discriminating against friend or foe. But while the Twilight Ninjas and Hanzo seemed content with their fate, the demons on Woland's field cursed and roared in anger at having victory snatched from them.

**WOLAND LP: 0**

**TSUKIKAGE LP: 0**

**DRAW!**

Woland screamed as he was blown back, while Tsukikage picked up Reira, holding the child tightly in his arms, riding the explosion towards the barrier of purple flames. It was then that the head of the mist dragon reappeared, flying towards the flames and slamming into them, putting them out in an instant.

"Hold on, Reira-dono!" Tsukikage cried over the din, causing the little girl to shut her eyes tight as the ninja jumped through the gap his trap had created.

He did not plan to waste anymore time. They had to return to Reiji, and fast. Looking up at the towering districts, Tsukikage immediately dashed towards them, jumping from roof to roof, not looking back, making sure to make as much distance between them and Woland as possible.

Woland however, had no interest in chasing after the two however.

Instead, he lay on the ground, on his back, floored at Tsukikage's final move. "Well, I'll be damned. I did not see that coming…"

And then, he laughed a hearty laugh, sitting back up energetically.

"HAHAHA! Good show ninja! Good show! Then again, perhaps I should refer to you as Tsukikage? Heh, heh...excellent duel all the same!"

" _ **EXCELLENT?!"**_ Uku Pacha roared.

At that moment, a purple mark, resembling a pair of hands emerging from a blob, with one having four fingers and the other having six, flared to life on Woland's arm, sending pain throughout the demon's body. Woland screamed in agony, feeling the mark on his face glow purple, veins bulging as the terrible entity within him raged.

" _ **You had the opportunity to end the duel in your victory had you summoned me! And now you lie on the ground, defeated! Pathetic!"**_

"Technically, it was a draw." Woland smirked grimly.

" _ **Semantics!"**_ Uku Pacha roared. _**"Losing to a mortal like that is humiliating!"**_

"I mean, Lucas once lost a bet to a Irish drunkard." Woland admitted. "But then again, come twenty years, and the drunkard became a pariah to everyone. Now he's forced to forever do the one thing he hates most in the world for all eternity: Hard Work! AHAHAHAAHA!"

" _ **The antics of you European creatures does NOT AMUSE ME MEPHISTOPHELES!"**_ Uku Pacha bellowed, sending waves of needle-like pain throughout Woland's body.

The demon-man screamed, his voice turning scratchy in the process. Yet, his defiance was still strong. "I can...say the same of you Incan freakshows. All you want is to end the world because you're _programmed_ to do so. You all have the personality of turnips...no wait, that's an insult to the turnips! You're all nothing more than raw masses of negative emotion, aimless now that your King is dead!"

" _ **SILENCE!"**_ Uku Pacha all but screeched, with Woland taking delight at how the beast was not denying his accusations.

"Hell, only Tezca really had his own goals." the Faustian devil mused. "The rest of you? You're all so aimless you've let freaking Churan use you in his experiments! It's honestly amusing!"

" _ **I said, SILENCE!"**_

Woland gagged, feeling his airways close up. Obviously, he wouldn't die from it, but it still essentially meant that he couldn't talk...and the idea of being restrained that way by a creature whose sole instinct was to kill...infuriated the demon greatly.

So at that moment, gritting through the intense pain rippling through his body, Woland drew his cane-sword, and stabbed the sable blade right through his right forearm, piercing the area where Uku Pacha's mark shone.

" _ **GARRRRGGGHHHH! HOW DARE YOU!"**_

"I dare to do a lot of things, Uku Pacha." Woland coughed, so relieved to have control over his vocal chords that he mentally blocked out the pain of being stabbed by his own personal weapon. "Now, let's stop bickering like dysfunctional fools from some dramedy cartoon and talk about this reasonably…"

" _ **What is there to talk about?"**_ the spirit boomed angrily. _**"You failed to rely on My power, and now the ninja and the brat have escaped! That goes against the orders of your master!"**_

"Allow me to get to the heart of the matter then." Woland grimaced, feeling as if he was being flayed alive. "To summon you would mean an immense deal of collateral damage...which would not work out since Roget does not know about you. Oh, he knows of the power we gave to his top enforcer, but last I checked, he swapped that power out with some kind of masochism-fetish deck. So if I summoned you, that would mean a highly destructive factor that would never dream of swearing loyalty to our dear Sector Security Chief would be thrown into the delicate equation that Shiro has worked so hard to refine."

There was silence for a few moments as Uku Pacha seemed to consider this logic, since now it felt like only half of Woland's cells were on fire.

" _ **You still assume that We could be defeated so easily."**_

"Look, for all of our power, we're still just two guys, well, a guy and a giant pair of death-hands." Woland grimaced. "In the short-term, we'd win, but then there's all kinds of shit that would be thrown our way. In particular, knowing Roget's desire to control everything and Shiro's disdain of everything post-Meklord Emperor Genocide Avoidance, that would not end up well for us. Better to play the long game safely than play fast and furious. Besides, your advent will come when I have a more...suitable opponent for you instead of a single shinobi."

" _Then explain your contentment at letting them get away."_ Uku Pacha grumbled, voice now significantly less threatening as the spirit seemed to calm down.

Woland breathed, feeling relief as the pain in his body subsided...except of course for the pain in his arm, pain that he ended by pulling the cane sword out, which at first seemed clean...but that was only because the blade's black coloration was the exact same as that of the black blood that flowed through Woland's circulatory system. The ebon fluid dripped onto the ground, dissolving into ash as it did so. The mark on Woland's arm glowed again, but now much more gently, and the wound began to close up. Once it had healed, the demon-man slowly got up to his feet.

"True, letting them get away isn't something that Shiro would enjoy...but at the same time, there's always something to gain from enabling freedom of movement. Besides, that message I had Kurei forward over to Shiro should pretty much tie the guy's hands up. Reiji Akaba, I think, is the exact kind of person who appeals to Shiro's, shall we say, 'thoughts' on what all of humanity should be like. I have a feeling that he might see opportunity from the guy instead of instant-revulsion…"

" _You wanted to exploit the man's bias for...what reason exactly? I am not following. Nor do I see how you expect Shiro to accept this man instead of killing him where he stands considering his Dimension of origin."_

At this, Woland sneered. "Because, as much as it pains me to admit it, there's a trait that Shiro and I share. We want the cream of the crop. The people who have potential and the will and ability to see it through. Of course, the difference is that Shiro is only interested in one type of crop. Me? I prefer to have a harvest with variety."

" _...Just get to the point."_ the spirit grumbled, clearly annoyed by Woland's posturing.

"Point is, Shiro wants everyone to be a Machiavellian Social Darwinist schemer." Woland explained. "That being said, he expects that type of person to always be the openly suave, calculating type. If you show off anything that goes against his vision of the ideal lifeform, he'll be calculating which point in his plans he'll toss you off a cliff. Roget might try to project that image, but it's a cheap varnish that's easy to remove with the right factor. Reiji on the other hand, _is_ that type of person: Calm, calculating, sees a problem and makes a move to immediately solve it, all that good stuff...and as such, Shiro will subconsciously 'accept' him as it were."

" _...That still does not explain why you even initiated this duel that I'm starting to suspect you didn't even care about winning in the first place. Why go to all of this trouble if you knew that Reiji's mannerisms and personality would override Shiro's hatred of the Other Worlds? Why complicate matters in this way?"_

"One, I wanted to have some fun." Woland chuckled. "And two, well...you should already know that things are already complicated. And to solve a complex problem, you can't use a simple solution. That's a little fact that the previous Professor knew very well, and what his...successor, if you can even call Leo Akaba that, does not know."

" _...I don't know why I ever bother."_ Uku Pacha groaned.

"Never fear Uku Pacha, all will become clear in time, and you'll get your due sooner than you think." Woland grinned. "But for now…" the Demon-man stretched. "I'd like to head back home and take a nap."

The spirit was silent as darkness swirled around Woland, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the alleyway, which now fell silent.

* * *

" _Movement from the Commons to the Tops is generally frowned upon. However, it is not impossible. To move from a higher district to a lower district and vice-versa, transfer tunnels were installed. Some act as freeways, others are walkways, and yet others are akin to complex elevators. In general, movement between the districts is highly monitored, particularly in the districts closest to the Commons. While Commons can indeed enter the Tops, they do not typically last very long in those districts, either being defeated due to their lower quality of cards, or simply being caught by Security. At best, some minor thieves make their way in, but once again, are only capable of minor thefts at worst._

Tsukikage had moved as quickly as he could throughout the Commons, all kinds of thoughts and worries running through his head. On the one hand, he now had a concrete idea of the enemy that was present in the Synchro Dimension, barring whatever discoveries Reiji had possibly made. On the other hand, said enemy was not just present in Synchro, but had roots in Standard as well. Even worse, this organization named Yliaster seemed to have a disturbing amount of information on LDS' activities. If that was true, were they present in the Fusion Dimension? Xyz? So many questions, and no answers.

Perhaps the final point was how casually Woland had admitted that murdering Reira was on their group's plan. What kind of threat could the child possibly pose to Yliaster?

While thinking about this, Tsukikage had headed for the nearest district that he could find, remembering the information he had gathered concerning movement between the Tops and Commons. Now, he and Reira had hidden themselves behind a set of buildings that stood just before a section that stood before the elevators that might take them further up. The problem however, was that there were quite a few Security officers guarding the area. If Tsukikage had been by himself, he could've easily slipped into the shaft and hidden either on top or underneath the elevators, but the problem was that he still had Reira with him, which somewhat limited his movements.

Especially since Reira was currently crouched down against a wall, clutching her teddy bear, still shivering from their encounter with Woland. Honestly, Tsukikage could hardly blame her. He had the distinct feeling that the dark figure had been holding back, and even then he had come very close to winning the duel.

The ninja could not help but shudder at the thought of Woland getting 'serious'.

He looked back at the area, seeing how the officers were using the elevators, with the occasional public service employee using them as well. As per the information he had gathered, whenever a stray Commons resident came near the elevators, Security immediately chased them away, and there were unfortunately enough officers to still keep guard that the ninja couldn't rely on a stray passerby as a distraction.

Sitting down, Tsukikage began to weigh his options, trying to think of a plan.

Several minutes passed in silence, but when it broke, it was not because Tsukikage had finished mentally mapping out their escape route.

"Th-thank you." Reira stammered.

Tsukikage blinked, then looked down at the child. "My mission is to help protect our comrades, Reira-dono. Think nothing of it."

"B-but…" she whimpered, pulling out her duel disk. "I-I...could've…I-I-I'm s-sorry"

And then she began to cry. The tears that fell were mostly silent, but they were no less intense than if Reira had stuck to yelling and bawling. The child felt utterly helpless, practically hearing Mother's voice in anger at learning how her child had essentially refused to duel.

Tsukikage gently put a hand on Reira's shoulder, causing her to flinch and look up at the ninja. "It's alright Reira-dono."

"H-he was…" Reira started, but Tsukikage finished that sentence for her.

"Scary?" he asked quietly.

Nodding, Reira buried her head in Tsukikage's chest, letting out all of the stress from the nightmare they had been straddled with. The ninja was patient, patting her back as Reira cried, whatever sounds she might've made with the increased intensity muffled by his clothing. They remained that way for several more minutes, and it was then that Tsukikage sighed. Whatever plan he could come up with to avoid Security was too risky as long as it put Reira in danger, and her mental state from enduring Woland was too fragile for the child to be relied on in any of the scenarios that came to the ninja's mind.

That left only one option. Tsukikage sighed, and once Reira seemed to have calmed down and broke away, the ninja put his arms on her shoulders.

"It's going to be alright Reira-dono." the ninja comforted, even though he wasn't too sure about this last-ditch effort. "I'm going to call Reiji-dono. Hopefully he has explained everything to the Executive Council...or at least enough that we will not be considered enemies by them."

"B-but we can't call anyone?" Reira questioned with a small sniffle, remembering that communications were strictly monitored.

If Tsukikage were unmasked, Reira would've seen the confident smirk that crept onto his face. "Remember that I was sent to try to investigate the issue. I won't go over all of the technical issues and details, but the short story is that our duel disks simply don't have the proper connections to use the communication network. We can access the internet, but we can't call others unless we have the proper settings installed. I was hacking into that method before Woland dragged us here. It's worth a shot to contact your brother."

At this, Reira's face finally perked up. "So, we can talk to Nii-Sama? He can help us?"

"Only if we can reach him." Tsukikage admitted. "Hopefully, we can."

Without wasting another word or moment, Tsukikage typed in Reiji's contact number. It was a good sign that he was not being assaulted with the sound of static right away, and instead the usual buzzing indicating that the call was going through. The ninja held his breath though. If this method failed, he would have no choice but to rely on a brute-force tactic, and he wasn't sure he could keep Reira completely safe in that regard.

Then…

" _Is that you Tsukikage?"_ Reiji asked from the other end.

"Nii-Sama!" Reira cheered, only for Tsukikage to shush her just in case. He made sure to comfort her with a wink however, which Reira thankfully reciprocated with a nod.

"Yes, Reiji-dono. The man who was following us...we...encountered him, but managed to escape." Tsukikage explained. "However, whatever teleportation method he used, it resulted in us being stuck in the Commons. We are near a Level 4 Tops district, but ah, do not have any clearance. Can you assist us?"

There was the sound of chatter on the other side of the line. Tsukikage prayed that it was the Executive Council.

" _Permission has been granted. I'm sending you the certifications. Show them to the Security Officer, then meet me back at the Hotel Lola. I still need to finish up a few more negotiations with the Council."_ Reiji said.

A buzzing on Tsukikage's duel disk likewise, confirmed that the certification had been sent.

"Thank you, Reiji-dono." Tsukikage said gratefully, cutting off the communications. He then looked down at Reira. "Well then, Reira-dono, shall we go?"

A smile that Tsukikage could dare to call joyful appeared on Reira's face, the girl nodding happily and gladly taking Tsukikage's hand as they walked towards the Security officers, triumphant.

* * *

SLAM!

"You have got to be kidding me…" Shiro growled as he overheard the conversation, fist clenched on his desk in anger.

As the head of Yliaster's operations in the Synchro Dimension, and of their entire organization, of course, it was only natural that Shiro made sure to thoroughly bug the Executive Council's meeting chamber, listening in on conversations, recording them for later in audio and video format, and of course hack into impromptu communications of others to keep track of them. Not that what he was hearing was any good news, since it told him that Woland had failed to kill the ninja and the brat that Dragnov, for whatever reason, wanted dead.

Not that Shiro had much interest in slaughtering the detestable creature, therapeutic as the act of slaughtering children and watching them bleed out might be. If Dragnov wanted her dead, there must have been a reason, but currently, Shiro saw no reason to expend any resources in the deed, as there were far more important matters to deal with right now.

That of course being the incursions that had touched the last bastion of decency in reality.

Shiro remembered a glorious time, so long ago, when he had helped forge a beautiful society of order and evolution, one that promised to purge from humanity the traits he had despised since he had begun to grow-up and learn more about the world. Laziness, stupidity, shallowness, misplaced kindness, wasting of knowledge, wasting of power, weak duelists who embodied any of the previous 'qualities' and most importantly, the chaos of reality that let these and other revolting traits exist.

But something terrible had happened, and now Shiro was stuck here, in a bastardization of that beautiful world order...yet sadly this bastardization was the best he could hope for next to the Fusion Dimension, if only because Academia's goal and military success had earned a small smidgen of respect from the now-head of Yliaster. Especially since it was thanks to their firepower that the Dimension that represented everything Shiro despised was now a burned-out husk.

The Yliaster leader sighed, pushing out his reminiscing of the past to focus on the problem before him. As per usual, the revolting cretin known as Kurei Sozotai and the annoying Devil known as Woland had been the first ones responding to an unknown problem, and as per usual, they just HAD to send that information to Shiro at near the worst possible time.

The information in question?

A remnant of the revolting and aberrant Xyz Dimension, now part of an organization almost entirely made up of disgusting vermin from the Standard Dimension, had entered the Synchro Dimension, and even worse, _defeated_ one of the duelists of the Synchro Academia that Shiro had been happy to help Roget set up.

Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable.

And perhaps even worse, the one kind of individual that Shiro respected, the kind of people who truly knew how the world worked, or rather, should work, and shaped it to their will...just HAD to come from Standard. Leo Akaba did not count, no, instead, it was his son; Reiji Akaba, who took that honor. For a moment, just a brief moment, Shiro thought that he had finally found someone intelligent enough to talk to, without dealing with Kurei's madness, Woland's casualness, Clark Smith's brown-nosing, or Roget's stupidity. Of course, there were yet more beyond them: Gimyohan's flamboyance, Damura's obnoxiousness, Alco's very existence, and Eisheth's laziness.

How Shiro hated them...and the fact that he had to work with them. But one day, it would all be worth it…

With that thought of future catharsis in mind, Shiro began to weigh his options. His chances of contacting someone as fickle as Woland were nonexistent knowing him...but then again, Woland had directed over to Kurei, and Kurei had forwarded it to be shared with Shiro; footage of the fly-drones that Woland had scattered to keep an eye on these Lancers. The ones sent after Reiji's group had been deactivated, while the ones sent to keep an eye on the scum, vermin, and Academia's little princess were still active. But with those three restrained, there was very little to do concerning them at the moment.

That left only one group left, and in the message forwarded to him, Shiro had been advised to watch it carefully. Just what was so special about the remaining Lancers?

Well, as much as he hated to admit it, there was only one way to find out...and so the leader of Yliaster pressed a button on his desk, turning on the large monitor in his office, studying what he saw intently, hatred flowing through his mind as he reviewed the events to come...

* * *

**AUTHOR-MADE CARDS (That were actually Summoned, sorry Huge-Hands Hans)**

_**Woland** _

_**Monsters** _

_Hexenacht Spirit_   
_DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 0_   
_If this card is in your GY: You can discard 1 "Hexenacht" monster; Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. If this card is banished: You can send 1 "Hexenacht" monster from your Deck to the GY. You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Spirit" once per turn._

_Hexenacht Necromancer_   
_DARK/Level 4/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK: 1500/DEF: 0_   
_If a "Hexenacht" monster(s) is Special Summoned from your GY: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can take 1 "Hexenacht" card from your Deck, and either add it to your hand or send it to the GY. You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Necromancer" once per turn._

_Hexenacht Conjourer_   
_DARK/Level 3/Psychic/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1300/DEF: 1000_   
_If this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Hexenacht" monster from your GY, also you cannot Special Summon monsters, except DARK monsters, for the rest of this turn. If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 of your Level 4 or lower "Hexenacht" monsters that is banished. You can only use the effect of "Hexenacht Conjourer" once per turn._

_Hexenacht Wolfe_   
_DARK/Level 4/Beast/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1400_   
_If this card is Special Summoned from the GY: You can increase or reduce its Level by 1. If this card is used as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of a DARK monster: You can draw 1 card. You can only use this effect of "Hexenacht Wolfe" once per turn._

_Hexenacht Newt  
_ _DARK/Level 3/Reptile/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 0  
_ _If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Hexenacht Shadow Token" (Fiend/DARK/Level 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0), and if you do, you cannot Special Summon monsters, except DARK monsters, for the rest of this turn. If this card is sent to the GY or is banished from your GY while you control a "Hexenacht" monster: You can Special Summon 1 "Hexenacht Shadow Token" (Fiend/DARK/Level 1/ATK: 0/DEF: 0). You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Newt" once per turn._

 _Hexenacht Thrall Knight  
_ _DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1200  
_ _Gains 200 ATK/DEF for each "Hexenacht" monster in your GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Hexenacht Thrall Knight" once per turn.  
_ _● If you control a face-up "Hexenacht" monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.  
_ _● If this card is Special Summoned from the GY: You can add 1 "Hexenacht" Spell/Trap from your Deck or GY to your hand._

 _Hexenacht Hauntghost  
_ _DARK/Level 3/Zombie/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 0  
_ _If this card is sent to the GY by the effect of a "Hexenacht" card: Special Summon it. If this card is Special Summoned from the GY by the effect of a "Hexenacht" card: You can draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Hauntghost" once per turn._

 _Hexenacht Witch  
_ _DARK/Level 3/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1300  
_ _If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 of your banished "Hexenacht" monsters or 1 "Hexenacht" monster in your GY to your hand, then if this card was Special Summoned from the GY, you can Special Summon 1 "Hexenacht" monster from your hand. If this card is used as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of a DARK Synchro Monster and sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Hexenacht" Spell/Trap from your GY to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Witch" once per turn._

 _Hexenacht Witch Avenger  
_ _DARK/Level 7/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2100  
_ _1 DARK Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Hexenacht" monsters  
_ _If this card is Synchro Summoned using a monster(s) that was Special Summoned from the GY as Synchro Material: You can destroy all Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls. If a "Hexenacht" monster(s) is sent to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 of your Level 4 or lower "Hexenacht" monsters that is banished or in your GY. You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Witch Avenger" once per turn._

 _Darkblood Mephisto  
_ _DARK/Level 8/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 1300  
_ _1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuners  
_ _If this card is Synchro Summoned: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of cards on the field x300. You can only use this effect of "Darkblood Mephisto" once per turn. Your opponent must pay 300 LP to activate cards and effects._

 _Hexenacht Djinn Attendant  
_ _DARK/Level 7/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2300  
_ _1 "Hexenacht" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Hexenacht" monsters  
_ _You can target 1 DARK Synchro Monster in your GY; Special Summon it, then, if that monster was a "Hexenacht" monster, this card gains 500 ATK, also you can increase or reduce its Level by 1. You can only use this effect of "Hexenacht Djinn Attendant" once per turn. If you control a DARK Synchro Monster that was Special Summoned from the GY, your opponent cannot target this card for attacks or card effects. You can only control 1 "Hexenacht Djinn Attendant"._

 _Hexenacht Warculler  
_ _DARK/Level 9/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2800  
_ _1 "Hexenacht" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Hexenacht" monsters  
_ _If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can send 1 card from your opponent's hand or field to the GY, then, if a monster was sent, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of that monster's ATK. You can only use this effect of "Hexenacht Warculler" once per turn. Negate the effects of all cards in your opponent's GY._

_**Spells** _

_Hexenacht Brocken Peak  
_ _Field Spell  
_ _Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the Special Summon of "Hexenacht" monsters from the GY or effects that would Special Summon a "Hexenacht" monster from the GY. You can only use each of the following effects of "Hexenacht Brocken Peak" once per turn.  
_ _● During your Main Phase: You can send 1 "Hexenacht" monster from your Deck to the GY.  
_ _● If this card is destroyed by a card effect: You can Special Summon 1 of your "Hexenacht" monsters that is banished in or in your GY._

 _Hexenacht Phylactery  
Equip Spell  
_ _Target 1 'Hexenacht' monster in your GY; Special Summon it, and if you do, equip it with this card. If this card is sent to the GY because the monster it was equipped to was sent to the GY: Draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of "Hexenacht Phylactery" once per turn._

_**Traps** _

_Corrupt Synchro  
Normal Trap  
_ _If a Synchro Monster is destroyed by your opponent's card: Draw 2 cards if it was a Dark Synchro Monster or a DARK Synchro Monster, also skip your next Draw Phase if it was not a Dark Synchro Monster.  
_

 _Hexenacht Pyre  
Normal Trap  
_ _Target 1 "Hexenacht" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, then, if that monster was a Synchro Monster, you can Set this card instead of sending it to the GY. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation. You can only activate 1 "Hexenacht Pyre" per turn._

_**Tsukikage** _

_**Monsters** _

_Twilight Ninja - Yoru  
_ _DARK/Level 4/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 0/Scale 3  
_ _Pendulum Effect  
_ _When this card in your Pendulum Zone is activated: You can Set 1 "Ninjitsu Art" Spell/Trap directly from your Deck. You can only use this effect of "Twilight Ninja - Yoru" once per turn.  
_ _Monster Effect  
_ _If this card is Normal Summoned: Destroy 1 "Ninja" monster you control. If this card is Pendulum Summoned: You can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls. If this card is destroyed by battle or by card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Ninja" monster from your Deck in face-up or face-down Defense Position. You can only use each effect of "Twilight Ninja - Yoru" once per turn._

 _Twilight Ninja Gekko, the Chunin  
_ _DARK/Level 6/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 2000/Scale 5  
_ _Pendulum Effect  
_ _Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation and effects of "Ninjitsu Art" Spell/Traps.  
_ _Monster Effect  
_ _If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Ninja" monster that was Pendulum Summoned: You can destroy all Set cards your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. If this card is Pendulum Summoned: You can add 1 Level 5 or higher "Ninja" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Twilight Ninja Gekko, the Chunin" once per turn._

 _Twilight Ninja Yuhi, the Chunin  
_ _DARK/Level 6/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1600/Scale 7  
_ _Pendulum Effect  
_ _If a "Ninja" monster is Tributed or discarded: You can Special Summon this card from your Pendulum Zone. You can only use this effect of "Twilight Ninja Yuhi the Chunin once per turn.  
_ _Monster Effect  
_ _If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Ninja" monster that was Pendulum Summoned: You can destroy up to 2 cards your opponent controls. If this face-up monster leaves the field: You can add 1 "Ninjitsu Art" Spell/Trap from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Twilight Ninja Yuhi, the Chunin" once per turn._

_**Spells** _

_Spiritual Ninjitsu Art of Ascension  
Quick-Play Spell  
_ _If a card that was added to the hand is sent to the GY while you control a "Ninja" monster: Banish up to 4 cards from either GY that were sent there this turn (min. 1), and if you do, draw 1 card for each banished card. You can only activate 1 "Spiritual Ninjitsu Art of Ascension" per turn._

_Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Arrows  
Continuous Spell  
Activate only if you control a "Ninja" monster. If a card(s) is added to your hand, you can send 1 of those cards to the GY, and if you do, all face-up monsters your opponent controls lose 500 ATK/DEF. If you control no "Ninja" monsters, destroy this card.  
_

_**Traps** _

_Shadow Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Duplication  
_ _Normal Trap  
_ _If your opponent Normal or Special Summons a monster(s): Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Ninja" monster from your hand or Deck._

 _Twilight Ninjitsu Art of Yinyang  
_ _Normal Trap  
_ _If a "Ninja" monster you control is destroyed by your opponent's card: You can add up to 2 "Ninja" Pendulum Monsters from your Deck to your hand, then, if you control no monsters, Special Summon a number of "Twilight Ninja Doppelganger Tokens" (Warrior/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position equal to the number of "Ninja" monsters that were destroyed. You can only activate 1 "Twilight Ninjitsu Art of Yinyang" per turn._

 _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Return  
Normal Trap  
_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack: Special Summon 1 "Ninja" monster from your GY in Defense Position, and if you do, it cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. At the end of the Battle Phase, return that "Ninja" monster to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Return" per turn._

 _Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Dragon  
_ _Counter Trap  
_ _If a "Ninja" monster you control is targeted for an attack or card effect: Discard 1 card; negate that attack or card effect, and if you do, destroy that "Ninja" monster, then both players take damage equal to that monster's ATK/DEF, whichever is higher. You can only activate 1 "Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Dragon" per turn._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a doozy wasn't it?
> 
> Next time, we finally give our main protagonist the spotlight he needs! 
> 
> Yeah...the burnout on this chapter has exhausted. Nothing special to note here unless you compare it with the FF.net Author's Notes :p.
> 
> -Epsilon Tarantula-


End file.
